


All You Corpses of Cheer

by Hamingo



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/F, and the rest of you will just have to figure it out, it's a corpse bride au baby!, it's wall to wall lesbians out there, like this is for my friends not the fandom at large, so there are probably like five people who will know what the hell i'm talking about, there's one (1) man and he's just here for moral support, very oc centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27209800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hamingo/pseuds/Hamingo
Summary: “With this ring!” Leliana held the ring in her hand up to the skies, her grin growing. Glancing down, she noticed a small bush bare of leaves and slipped the ring onto one of the few protruding branches. “I ask you to be mine!”A caw up above caught her attention, and Leliana looked up to see dozens of crows had flocked in the trees above her while she had been distracted.Another reason to get out of here, she figured,this place is really creepy.Kneeling back down to retrieve her ring from the branch, she paused.Had it just. Moved?She really had to leave these woods, if she was starting to see things.She reached forward.So did the branch.The Corpse Bride AU is finally here!This AU heavily features mine and my friend's OC's- I wrote it for them! Thanks for letting me use your characters, I love you guys!!It will update one chapter a day up to the finale on Halloween!!(rated T for some swearing and violence in later chapters, and for general Corpse Bride spookiness)
Relationships: Background Male Amell/Morrigan (Dragon Age), Background Revka Amell/Quentin (dragon age), Female Amell/Leliana (Dragon Age), Leliana/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Main Titles/According to Plan

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally here guys!! After like, two years of daydreaming about this AU, I finally wrote it!!!  
> Huge huge HUGE thanks to Rogue-Lavellan and Feeshies on tumblr for letting me steal your wardens for this. 
> 
> Also I suffer from dumb bitch disease and have just now realized that I totally did the math wrong, and I should have started uploading _yesterday_ for the finale to be on Halloween. So. We start with the first _two_ chapter today I guess. Which works out, cause the first chapter is super short anyways!!

In a small town in Northern England, a clock rang at 9 am. Blankets of fog rolled in from the surrounding woods and coated the old cobblestone streets. It clung to a pair of boots and nipped at the bottom of the dress of a young woman, the droplets sticking themselves onto the soft petals of the blue flowers she held in her hands.

Shopkeepers flipped over open signs, while horses' hooves and carriage wheels began disturbing the thick white haze on the ground.

The clock ticked on.

The young woman found herself in a graveyard. The fog there was undisturbed, unlike the now-busy town square she had just come from. Blue flowers sat at the bases of two different stones- one for a past lover and one for a life-long friend.

Bodies pressed against each other in lines at the stores. Voices of people going about their lives floated on the wind.

The clock rang at 10 am.

The young woman wound along the streets of the town. The fog had lifted quite a while ago. She clutched the remaining flowers to her chest. Her tears would be dry by the time she returned home.

~~~

Not far away, a ginger-haired girl buttoned her coat. A purple velvet thing, lined with fur. A way to keep out the November chill, sure, but mostly a display of wealth. The metal buttons bit her fingers with their chill as she fumbled with them, but the feeling was welcome. It was grounding, in a way. Something to remind her to stay focused, to not let her mind wander as it so often does. Today was far too important.

A gentle knock on her bedroom door sounded just as she finished dressing, and with a quiet “come in”, her mother entered.  
“Oh, wonderful, you’re ready,” she said, softly closing the bedroom door and making her way toward her daughter.

Oisine Van Dort was a petite woman, with delicate features and the same dazzling blue eyes that she had passed on to her daughter. Her signature floral perfume invaded the girl’s senses, and she felt calmed, although not by much. Her mother lifted a hand to the girl's cheek and sighed.

“You’re worrying Leliana, I can tell,” Her mother looked into her eyes, and when Leliana didn’t reply, she sighed once more. “Sit. Let me do your hair before we leave.”

Most days, sitting at the vanity while her mother brushed through her hair was a treasured moment for Leliana, one where she could simply relax and melt into her mother’s soothing brush strokes. Today, her shoulders remained tense, and her eyes focused on the wooden pattern on the vanity, unmoving.

“Tell me what is troubling you, dear,” her mother said, her voice soft as she prompted her daughter.

Leliana had to open and close her mouth several times before the words finally came. “I know that my marriage tomorrow is important.”

When Leliana looked up into the mirror, her mother’s eyes were locked with hers as she continued braiding. 

“But?” she prompted, holding her daughter's gaze.

“But,” Leliana continued, “I can’t help feeling that we’re taking advantage of their families misfortune. Their son died only a few short months ago, and their close family friend only a few weeks after that. I feel as if we’re swooping in while they’re down and have nowhere else to go.”

Her mother stopped braiding, and for the first time since she entered the room, she no longer felt soft. She felt piercing.

“They  _ don’t _ have anywhere else to go, Leliana. Why do you think this engagement has been so brief? Without their son, they’re desperate. They have titles but no money. We have money but no titles. We’re  _ helping _ each other.” Her mother finally broke their eye contact and continued braiding, focusing on the delicate manoeuvring of her dainty fingers, pulling her daughter’s hair this way and that to form graceful little patterns across her scalp. “But there’s more to your worries than that, isn’t there?”

Leliana cursed herself. She was far too easy to read.

She looked down at her clasped hands in her lap, picking at her own fingers to calm her nerves before answering.

“What if Amalia despises me for this?”

Her mother finished placing the final pin in her hair before resting a hand under Leliana’s chin and lifting it once more to hold her gaze in their mirror.

“Amalia Everglot understands her duty to her family just as much as you do. And with time, I’m sure you two will grow fond of each other.” Oisine broke their gaze once again to glance at the clock resting on the corner of the vanity. “We should go. We can’t be late for the rehearsal.” Her mother placed a small kiss to the top of her head before moving away. “Meet us at the carriage, and don’t be too long.”

Leliana didn’t watch as her mother exited the room, only the click of her door closing signalled Oisine’s disappearance. She took a moment, stared into her reflection in the vanity mirror.

Her chin-length hair was braided back from her face, with a few strands left hanging to frame her cheeks. She looked elegant. Beautiful. A part of her couldn’t help hoping that Amalia would approve.

Amalia Everglot. Her betrothed, who she would be meeting for the first time in only an hour, at their wedding rehearsal. Leliana took a deep breath and rose, straightening her coat before preparing to make her way downstairs to meet her future spouse. Her mother’s words continued to ring in her mind the entire ride to the Everglot’s estate, ‘ _ Amalia understands her duty to her family just as much as you do’ _ .

Leliana could not bring herself to be comforted by the thought.

~~~

In a different bedroom, on an estate tucked in amongst the trees, the youngest child of a destitute noble family prepared herself to be given away. The town clock’s thunderous chime marking the time as 10:30 pulled her attention to the window, where she watched one of her oldest friends run down the drive, clutching a large bouquet of flowers to her chest.

Neria was late, but the young noble couldn’t bring herself to be upset about it. Her friend’s absence for the past two hours had, at the very least, given her a moment in the silence, all to herself. A moment to forget about what was best for the people around her. A moment to simply  _ feel _ . Indignation. Grief. Helplessness, anxiety and fear. 

And now, with Neria’s knock on her bedroom door before entering, the silence was over, and she would have to push the feelings away once again.

“I’m sorry I’m late Amalia,” Neria said as she entered the room. “I trust you were alright without me?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Amalia replied. She studied her friend’s face for a moment. Her tears had obviously dried, but the tracks still stained Neria’s cheeks. Amalia decided not to mention it. That was what they did these days, cried alone while the other politely pretended not to notice. Instead, she nodded to the couple of flowers still clutched in Neria’s hands. They were fewer than the amount she had seen her enter the house with- she must have dropped them off with Amalia’s mother but saved these few for her. “Are those the flowers we will have for the wedding?”

“Yes. Just a small sampling for the rehearsal though. I’ll be picking the rest of them up tomorrow morning for the ceremony.” Neria placed the half dozen flowers down on Amalia’s desk, the blue and white petals standing out against the dark wood. She stared at them for a while, before speaking again. “I dropped some off at the cemetery too. I thought… maybe they would like to see them.”

Amalia froze a moment before walking over to place her hand gently against her friend’s cheek. “I’m certain they’ll love them.”

When Neria looked up to meet Amalia’s gaze, her eyes were glazed with tears that threatened to spill, but with a lingering blink and a deep breath, they were gone. Her arms were around Amalia’s body in an instant, on her tiptoes to bury her nose against her neck. Her words vibrated against Amalia’s collar as she spoke, “The next few days are going to be hard. But I  _ promise _ you I will be by your side through all of it.” She paused, squeezing Amalia’s shoulders tighter as she added, “I’ve got your back.”

Amalia squeezed back, leaning her head down to nestle her face in her friend’s hair, breathing in the scent of it. Neria couldn’t afford to use the fancy soaps that the Everglot’s used before their bankruptcy, and washed with the generic, nearly scentless kind that all of the domestic servants used. Amalia couldn’t care less, as, over the years, it became the scent of comfort. Of an old friend, held close.

Neria had joined the family as a teenager, although she had quickly become much more than just another one of the domestic servants. She was family herself, truth be told. She had been for years, and Amalia could not be more grateful for her presence.

And so the two stood there, entwined in one another. No words exchanged, but none needed to be said.

Neither knew how much time had passed, but it was the entrance of Lady Everglot that finally broke them apart.

“Neria, dear, could you go downstairs and assist my husband in arranging the chairs?” She said as she entered the room, “He’s truly hopeless.”

Neria gave her friend one last pat on the cheek, and a quick nod of respect to Amalia’s mother, before departing.

Lady Everglot strode in, before beginning to circle her child to check appearances. Despite their family's recent misfortunes, Amalia’s mother held herself high, with all of the upstanding and righteous airs a noblewoman was expected to perform. Her mother’s dignity was what held their family up this long, but it could only stretch so far.   
An estate could not be run on dignity alone.

Which was why Amalia was here, preparing herself to be married off to a wealthy stranger, and praying she had even half of the grace that her mother displayed.

When her mother finally finished circling, she nodded slightly to herself. “You look fine. Our guests will be arriving shortly. Ensure you’ve found your way downstairs before then.” She turned to leave, but Amalia caught her wrist before she could.

“Mother,” she began, “did you and father love each other when you got married?”

Her mother did not turn around as she answered.

“No.”

“Do you love each other now?”

“Yes.”

“What if Leliana and I never love each other?”

Finally, her mother turned to face her. “Then you will simply have to live with that.”

Amalia let her mother’s wrist drop from her grasp. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. Her mother to tell her that they could call the whole thing off? Unlikely.

Lady Everglot’s hand on her shoulder disrupted her thoughts. “Understand, it wasn’t supposed to be you. But without your brother to wed Lady Flemeth’s daughter, we’re left with no other choices.”

Amalia said nothing, staring down at her shoes. Her mother’s hand pulled away, and her receding footsteps seemed to echo in the silence. Before the door swung shut once more, her mother paused. “I truly  _ am _ sorry, Amalia.” 

The door clicked and Amalia was alone once more.


	2. Victor's Piano Solo/Into the Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2- Hanna can't do basic math edition.  
> We love that for me :)

The Everglot’s estate was larger than Leliana had anticipated. A long winding drive lined with trees led the family carriage through the vast amount of land until finally, the manor appeared before them. 

Leliana had known that the Everglot’s were an old-money family, and staring now at the residence towering above her she could hardly believe that this was a family forced to marry off their child in return for financial security. The stone brick building reached three stories upward, with jutting spires that seemed to grab at the clouds overhead. All around, a thick wood seemed to carry on for miles surrounding the house.

Her father’s hand on her shoulder broke her out of her wonder. Edwin Van Dort was a tall and slender man, although some may say the words “wiry” and “gaunt” may better describe his physique. Leliana was often praised for inheriting her face from her mother, but her father’s thinning orange hair was one of the few things she had received from him. She was never particularly close with her father, mainly due in part to the long hours he worked away managing the mill that his family’s money had come from. Leliana could probably count the number of conversations she had had with her father on both hands, but now, as her mother rang the bell signalling their arrival to the Everglot’s, she was glad he was here, hand on her shoulder, keeping her upright.

Only a brief moment had passed before the door was opened by a young woman certainly no older than Leliana herself. Her simple cotton dress and tied back brunette hair gave her away as a servant girl, and she quickly looked over the three people standing on her doorstep.

“The Van Dort’s, I presume?” the girl asked.

Leliana’s mother stepped forward. “Oisine, Edwin, and our daughter,” she gestured back towards her, “Leliana.”

The girl in the doorway stared at Leliana for perhaps just a moment too long before averting her eyes downwards and bowing her head as she gestured for the family to enter, and gently closing the door behind them.

Inside the manor was just as grand as the exterior was, with high roofs and a sprawling grand staircase leading up to the second floor. The floors were polished and painted portraits of countless family members lined the walls, and a grand chandelier hung from the ceiling. It was all so much to take in, Leliana almost didn’t notice the couple who had entered the hall and were approaching them.

The woman was tall, her back straight and her expression stern. She had not yet spoken a single word, but her unforgiving gaze told Leliana that this was a woman whose nerves you should never test. The man was _somehow_ taller than his wife, and his general air was certainly more forgiving than Lady Everglot’s beside him, although not by much.

Her parents exchanged pleasantries, although Leliana was not truly paying attention to the interaction. Her eyes continued to wander the interior of the manor, completely enraptured by the elegance of it all. She wanted so badly to explore the seemingly endless halls of the gigantic place and uncover all of its secrets one by one.

And so what if, as the Everglot’s led the Van Dort’s down one hall towards the parlour where the wedding rehearsal was to take place, Leliana allowed herself to fall behind. If she let her pace slow until the others had strode far away from her without them realizing, leaving her alone to roam for a short while. She wasn’t going to be too long, and she was certain she could find her way back when the time came.

Her heeled boots clicked against the polished floors as she walked, breaking the silence in the giant house. She wandered the halls, completely alone aside from the towering portraits that seemed to follow her. Dozens of sets of eyes painted on to strangers followed her as she walked, ancestors of the family she was now meant to marry into. Dead strangers whom she had no interest in, and so she tried to ignore them as she continued on until finally, a familiar face caught her eye. 

The painting was massive, and as Leliana stared up into Lady Everglot’s hard eyes she was certain she was about to crawl her way out of the frame and begin scolding her. Beside the regal woman stood her husband who Leliana had seen only briefly moments before, and standing next to him, an equally tall young man with blonde hair smiled. 

Leliana wasn’t looking at them.

Her attention had focused solely on the figure sitting down in front of the rest of her family, with her short red hair and her crystal blue eyes gazing out from the painted canvas. Amalia Everglot was certainly every bit as attractive as Leliana’s mother had led to believe, but there was more than just her physical appearance drawing her in.

It was almost hypnotic, in a way. The slight thrill of taking in the face of her betrothed before they had been allowed to meet.

Leliana may have stood there for hours, taking in the soft angle of Amalia’s jaw, the way the light reflected off of her eyes, the pink curve of her cupid’s bow.

It was the distant sounds of music that broke her out of her reverie. A light, lilting sound drifting through the halls, catching Leliana’s attention and pulling her gaze away. She thought that perhaps it was coming from the rehearsal parlour, but no. The sound was coming from the opposite direction, continuing further down the hall.

Leliana knew she should have been returning to her family, as she was probably being missed by now, but she let her curiosity carry her feet forward, on toward the delicate music filling the air.

It wasn’t long before Leliana found herself standing in the open doorway of a grand music room, gazing at the back of the red-haired figure perched on the far edge of the piano bench. When she leaned to her left to reach the lower keys, she almost looked as if she were about to fall off of it, before righting herself again to continue on. Still not moving into the centre of the bench. It looked as if she were waiting for someone to come sit down beside her.

Leliana hadn’t even noticed herself walking closer until the playing suddenly stopped, and she found herself only a foot away from the face she had just been staring at in the portrait.

“I’m sorry,” Amalia said. Those blue eyes Leliana had been so lost in on the canvas looked reddened and wet. “Is the rehearsal starting? Am I late?”

Leliana let out a short chuckle. “I wouldn’t know,” she said, “I snuck away from it.”

“Snuck away?” Amalia’s brow furrowed in obvious confusion before her eyes widened and she looked up at Leliana. “You’re miss Van Dort!”

“I feel as if, with us being engaged, maybe you could just call me Leliana?”

Amalia said nothing in return, only gazed up at her with those wide-open eyes, and Leliana felt her face grow hot.  _ Of course, _ Amalia was staring at her like this, she wasn’t even supposed to  _ be here _ . Leliana had snuck away from her parents, crept through their house, and was now alone with her fiance who she wasn’t intended to meet until both families were all present. Leliana’s brain was whizzing with all the ways she could apologize in a way that properly conveyed  _ please don’t tell our parents about this  _ when Amalia broke her mask of shock and smiled.

“I can if you’ll call me Amalia.” She patted the piano bench beside her. “Sit?”

And so Leliana did. 

“I’m sorry for barging in on you here. I heard the music and just. Wanted to come to see, I suppose.”

Amalia smiled at her again. “That song is actually meant to be a duet. My brother and I wrote it together. Did you like it?”

Leliana nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes! Do you play often?”

Amalia turned back to the piano and stroked the keys gently, fingertips barely grazing the ivory. “My mother used to say that I lived in this room when I was growing up. I don’t play as much anymore, but it’s still enjoyable.” Her hand fell off of the keys and she looked down for a moment. “I like to come in here and forget about things, once in a while.” She shook off her sadness and looked back up to Leliana. “Do you play at all?”

Leliana was suddenly very aware of how close the thin piano bench was forcing them to sit. “A little, although I much prefer to sing.”

Amalia leaned ever so slightly closer, and Leliana felt her face grow hot once again. “Well, I gave  _ you _ a private performance. Why don’t you sing for me?”

Leliana struggled to clear her throat before answering. “ I have nothing prepared right now.” Amalia leaned back, and Leliana could see the brief disappointment flash across her face. “But I would love to accompany you someday. I suppose we’ll have plenty of time for music once we’re married.”

Amalia’s lips curved ever so slightly upwards again. “Yes, I suppose we will-”

“Oh goodness,  _ there you are! _ ”

Leliana jumped back at the sudden voice, losing her balance and stumbling as she sprung up from her seat. 

“Honestly, you two are so lucky I’m the one who found you or you’d be in  _ so much _ trouble.”

Leliana recognized the girl hurriedly running into the room as the same one who had opened the door for them. She rushed toward Amalia and took her face in her hands, turning it side to side as if examining it while Amalia suppressed a laugh.

“What are you looking for, Neria?” she asked between giggles, to which Neria narrowed her eyes and leaned her nose down only inches away from Amalia’s.

“A  _ brain _ ! Stupid!” She released her cheeks and pulled her up from the bench, quickly dusting off her coat and straightening out any wrinkles. “You can’t just disappear minutes before your wedding rehearsal to dawdle around,  _ alone _ , with your fiance!”

“Sorry Neria,” Amalia said, although the playful glint in her eye suggested she wasn’t truly that sorry at all.

Neria just rolled her eyes, before turning her gaze to Leliana, who stood stiffly to the side. “You’re not exactly great with the first impressions here, huh?”

Just as Leliana opened her mouth to reply, Amalia cut in. “I actually think she’s quite charming.”

Neria sighed. “Just come with me before your mother alerts the bellman of a missing person, please. And let me do the talking.” She pointed to Amalia. “ _ You _ were here in the music room,  _ alone _ .” She turned her outstretched finger to Leliana. “And  _ you _ I found lost in the halls.”

Leliana had only just met this woman, but if she was going to cover for her, she wasn’t going to complain. She followed Neria and Amalia out of the room, a respectable distance away so as to not invoke any suspicion when they approached their parents. Neria was continuing on complaining about everything that had happened while Amalia and Leliana had been away. Amalia was smiling good-naturedly at her grievances while Leliana mainly tuned them out, focusing instead on the way her coat swayed as she walked and the click of her heels against the polished tile. It wasn’t until Neria mentioned a name that Leliana froze.

“Wait, Neria, what did you just say?”

Neria turned back to look at her. “I said some woman showed up today instead of for the ceremony tomorrow, and your parents don’t know her. Lady Everglot’s dignity wouldn’t allow her to admit it, but I could tell she didn’t know who she was either. So now she’s sitting in for the rehearsal and everyone’s trying to figure out who this Marjolaine woman is.” Neria stopped, looking at Leliana quizzically. “Why, do you know her?”

Leliana’s throat felt like it had swollen shut, but through the cotton in her mouth, she managed to slip out a “No”. Neria simply shrugged and continued on down the hall with Amalia in tow, chattering away about something else now, but Leliana couldn’t seem to make herself move. It felt like her blood had turned to ice, freezing her feet to the floor.

What was Marjolaine doing here? Beyond that, how had she  _ found her _ _?_ Leliana had broken her relationship with the older woman nearly a year ago, and now she was here, at her wedding rehearsal.

But she had to keep moving. She had to continue forward, even if Marjolaine sat at the end of that hall waiting for her.

With a deep breath, Leliana’s blood thawed and she followed Neria and Amalia to the rehearsal hall. She tried to calm her heartbeat as Neria explained to everyone why they had been late, tried to stop her hands from shaking as she pointedly kept her eyes focused far away from Marjolaine’s piercing gaze.

This marriage wasn’t just for Leliana, after all. It was for Lord and Lady Everglot, holding on to their dignity by a thread. It was for Amalia, crying alone in a music room, trying to forget these past few months.

Leliana could get through this. Say her vows, finish the rehearsal, and pray Marjolaine takes the hint and leaves. 

With one last shaky breath in, Leliana stepped forward, wholly unprepared for what was about to happen, but determined to get through it.

~~~

Leliana shivered as a gust of wind swept past her, pulling her purple coat closer against her body to keep off the chill. The cold air hit her face, and she could feel the tears there threatening to spill. She knew that as the night continued to darken the numbing temperature would only grow worse, but she couldn’t turn back, not after everything.

After repeating her vows time and time again, with each delivery growing more fumbled and awkward than the last. After tripping over her own gown and spilling the wine set out before the pastor. After dropping the ring and knocking her betrothed to the ground in her flustered attempt to retrieve it. Marjolaine, sitting in a chair beside her parents, grinning through it all.

And then seeing Amalia’s pained expression as she fled the room, away from her mistakes.

Leliana’s foot caught on an exposed root and she stumbled. Running into the woods was perhaps not the most intelligent move, but where else was she to go? With Lady Everglot staring at her as if she wished her to drop dead that instant and Oisine’s eyes glued to the ground. Her own mother, refusing to look at her. Marjolaine’s smug look as Leliana fumbled. She hadn’t known what to do besides run. And so run she had, through the Everglot’s estate’s massive double doors and into the trees beyond.

Judging by the moon overhead, she had been gone for over an hour at the very least. Her numb fingers and toes suggested that it was probably longer. She was definitely off of the Everglot’s estate by now, anyway, and had no idea how she was to get back.

At another strong gust of wind, Leliana shoved her hands into her pockets. Her fingers brushed up against something solid and cold and.  _ Oh _ . The ring. She had managed to grab it off the floor before noticing what she had done.

The cold metal against her skin was what convinced her feet to stop. Glancing to her right and noticing a small stump, she finally sat,  _ finally _ allowed the events of the day to rush over her.

She didn’t bother to try and stop the tears now.

_ Oh, Amalia… _

This whole marriage was to save her family. And maybe. Well,  _ maybe _ Leliana had been foolish enough to believe that after their meeting in the music room, Amalia might even like her. Perhaps grow to love her. It was impossible now, after all she had done, to continue living in that fantasy. To continue pretending that Amalia could love her.

Leliana sat, clutching the ring that was meant to save a family in her freezing fist.

Yes.  _ To save a family _ . This marriage wasn’t  _ about _ Amalia loving her. It was about protecting Amalia and any future she could hope to have. And not just Amalia, but that whole family, how drenched in grief they had all been, how hopeless when their last chance at survival went running out the door just earlier that evening.

She stood, clutching the ring in her fist harder, the freezing metal digging into her skin grounding. She  _ had _ to do this. For the crying person in the music room she was about to devote her life to.

“With this hand,” she said to no one, raising her left hand and taking in a deep breath before continuing, “I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.”

With a smile, she looked to her right, snapping a twig off of a low hanging branch and tilting the tip of it downward, mimicking lighting a candle. “With this candle, I will light your way in darkness!”

“With this ring!” She held the ring in her hand up to the skies, her grin growing. Glancing down, she noticed a small bush bare of leaves and slipped the ring onto one of the few protruding branches. “I ask you to be mine!”

A harsh gust of wind blew her back and Leliana stood. So, she could do her vows, and that knowledge would get her through tomorrow, but there was still the problem of getting home. Her triumphant performance would mean nothing if she froze to death in these woods.

A caw up above caught her attention, and Leliana looked up to see dozens of crows had flocked in the trees above her while she had been distracted.  _ Another reason to get out of here _ , she figured,  _ this place is really creepy _ .

Kneeling back down to retrieve her ring from the branch, she paused.

Had it just. Moved?

She really had to leave these woods, if she was starting to see things.

She reached forward.

So did the branch.

Her scream scared off the crows as the bushes' slender branches gripped her wrist, pulling her down toward the earth. Instinctively, Leliana dug her boots into the ground and pulled back, yanking her arm back toward her body as hard she could until with a sharp  _ snap! _ The bush broke at the base, the momentum of it forcing Leliana onto her back. She pushed herself backwards, ignoring the dirt wedging itself into her fingernails as she struggled away from the base of the bush. A clamping around her wrist reminded her that it was still attached, and she pulled her arm in front of her to get a look at it.

It was a hand. A skeletal hand, wearing her ring, gripping her wrist, clenching it  _ harder _ .

The scream she let out tore at Leliana’s throat, as her left hand desperately grabbed at the thing and tried to tear it off her. She finally managed to detach it and threw the thing at the ground where it had come from, just in time for her heart to freeze as the earth began to break open.

Leliana wanted to run, her mind was screaming at her to, but all she could do was sit and stare in terror as a figure clawed its way out from the dirt, roots getting caught on its form as it pulled itself upward. Dirt stained fabric covered its face and it turned towards Leliana, seeming to glance down at its severed hand at its feet and then back up to her.

Standing above her, it’s left arm rose, slowly pulling back the fabric from its face, and with horror Leliana realized,  _ it was a veil _ .

The person beneath it revealed their face, and Leliana could feel the tears start rolling down her cheeks again. She had never seen a dead body before, and now one was staring right at her.

Its sunken eyes were glued to the figure in the dirt, and Leliana had to strain to hear it’s whispered words.

“I do.”

Leliana’s body finally decided to move. In a rush of adrenaline, she pulled herself off of the ground and shot off into the trees. Her shoes were not built for running, and she could feel it in every shock of her feet against the frozen earth, but she couldn’t stop.

She had to keep running, _keep running_ , but to where?

Refusing to slow, she desperately looked around, looking from some kind of escape,  _ anything _ to tell her where she should be going to get away from this  _ thing _ .

_ There _ ! A thinning of the trees, hopefully meaning town. She forced her legs to continue moving, swallowing down the screams of pain as her body was forced past its limits.

The soles of her shoes pounded against the ground as she forced herself forward, closer, closer to the gap in the trees.

Something grabbed her dress, pulled her to the ground. Her body crashed down with a heavy thud, but there was no time to think, only scramble back to her feet, frantically try to dislodge her clothing from the thick brambles they had been caught in.

In the corner of her eye, movement. This was taking too long. With a sharp tug, her dress ripped, the expensive fabric tearing itself to shreds in its escape from the thorny branches. The momentum threw her forward, and Leliana only briefly registered the harsh sting and wetness of blood as her hands hit the ground before her adrenaline took hold again, forcing her forward.

Her lungs were screaming, but she was so  _ close _ now, just a few steps further. 

Branches caught her sleeves as she pushed through the last layer of trees but her thudding feet refused to stop, pushing her forward and forward until they hit the edge of the cobblestone bridge leading into town. 

The blood in her ears pounded as she chanced a glance behind her.

Nothing.

She turned her back to the water, gripping the edges of the bridge with her damaged hands. Whipped her head to the other direction.

Nothing there either.

She sucked in rapid breaths, forcing oxygen down into her tense and overworked lungs, the only sound breaking the otherwise silent night.

Leliana stayed there, letting the tears flow freely down her face and her body gradually recover. That woman or-  _ whatever _ \- it was, couldn’t be seen.

Had she imagined it? No.  _ No _ , it was real, it had  _ grabbed _ her. But the stifling silence now said otherwise.

Perhaps it had been the stress? Perhaps she would go home, get reprimanded by her mother, marry Amalia tomorrow, and eventually forget about this.

Her breathing had started to slow. Yes. That was what she would do. Go home and pray that with time this hallucination of hers would be forgotten. With one final deep breath, she turned towards the town.

Froze.

The adrenaline that had fueled her escape before had depleted, leaving her body completely frozen as she stared at the face of the horrific woman in front of her.

Her mind was screaming to run but her body refused to move, only watching as the woman drew closer. She gripped Leliana’s cheeks in her pale hands. They were as cold as ice.

She drew her face closer.

Leliana’s legs buckled. 

It was dark before she had even hit the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys!  
> As I mentioned in the summary, I'll be uploading a chapter a day until Halloween (assuming I don't crack under the stress of working two jobs while going to college _and_ being two chapters behind on this and just up and disappear into the forest) wish me luck lol


	3. Remains of the Day/Casting a Spell/Moon Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess a bit of a warning for this one: The Quentin in this chapter is _not_ the same as the Quentin in-game. This is Fish's version of Quentin, who is just a weird goth dad. We love this Quentin.
> 
> Anyways, this chapter is my favourite because everyone in the land of the dead is a little weird and it's fun!

The music was the first thing Leliana noticed. Jaunty piano accompanied by heavy bass, the swinging rhythm so unlike anything she was used to. Next were the voices, different sounds pouring out of dozens of mouths at the same time, each trying hard to drown the others out. The clink of glasses against each other, the _thuds_ of drinks being set down on a hard surface.

When she opened her eyes, the immediate swell of bodies and colour overwhelmed her and she closed them again. Focused on steadying her breathing. Tried to reach out with her other senses.

She was propped up on something cushioned. Her hands lay beside her, feeling at the upholstery of what was most likely a couch. A something cold and solid stood at the back of her head- probably a stone wall.

The heavy scents of cigarettes, alcohol and sweat invaded her nose, and when she finally opened her eyes again, everything was blurry. She blinked, and the fuzzy shapes started to take form. A lounge teeming with bodies, everyone drinking and laughing and dancing together. She lifted her head, turning to get a better look at the place when a voice right beside her broke the trance.

“Hey! She’s awake!”

Leliana jumped back with a start, hitting her head against the wall behind her. Rubbing the pain away she turned to the voice, suppressing a scream when finding herself only inches away from the face of a woman she had never met before.

Her shoulder-length pale blonde hair had fallen into her amber eyes, but that couldn’t hide the excitement in them as she gazed Leliana over, an almost maniacal smile splitting her face. There was more to her too, the way her greying skin seemed devoid of life, her sunken in eyes. It wasn’t as obvious as it was with the woman in the forest but this girl, this  _ thing _ . Was a corpse.

On instinct Leliana threw herself backwards, a desperate attempt to get away, only to feel herself slam into another body crammed in on her other side.

“Watch it!” A male voice cried out, and Leliana whipped around to see the body she had hit. He was lanky, gripping her shoulders to hold her steady. His long blonde hair fell down his back and the playfulness in his eyes couldn’t quite calm the panic she felt rising in her chest at how deathly cold his pale skin felt against her. “We’re falling apart enough as it is, you know. Don’t need you throwing us around!”

She was surrounded on both sides, one of them holding her by the shoulders, and as she gazed over the room in a frenzy her heart sunk as she finally got a look at all of the patrons of this lounge. Every last one of them was in some stage of decomposition, some with bones exposed, some with whole limbs missing. Some had nothing left but a skeleton, still standing upright and laughing over drinks with some other corpse.

She felt the blood rush from her head, and for a moment she was certain she was about to pass out again until the man at her side gave her a swift shake.

“Hey now don’t go passing out on us again!” he said, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead as if to check her temperature. Leliana wasn’t sure how effective that would be, what with how cold his own body was. “We’ve been sitting here nearly an hour waiting for you to wake up!”

Leliana bolted upright. “An  _ hour _ ?” She had been passed out here for an  _ hour _ ? With these living corpses all around, in immediate danger. And yet, as she paid attention to the rise and fall of her chest, to the slowly steadying beat of her heart, she seemed to still be in perfect health. Holding a hand out in front of her, the pinkish hue of her still-very-much-alive skin had not dwindled, and by all means, she appeared alive, if perhaps roughed up from her sprint through the woods.

“Yeah,” the girl on her other side said, and Leliana turned her attention back to her where she had perched herself on the couch’s arm, “we weren’t sure if you were even gonna wake up at all. That’s why Joyce had us here watching over you while she dealt with the reception.” The girl glanced up and scanned across the room. “Not sure where she’s run off to now though.”

“Oh, she’ll be back,” the man said, “but in the meantime, we’ve got you here all to ourselves, ‘cause since her parents aren’t here right now it’s  _ our _ job to interrogate you.”

The girl chuckled. “Can we still call it a shovel talk if we’re dead?” She asked.

“ _ She’s _ not!” he gestured at Leliana, “So yeah, I think we can! Quentin and Revka are stuck up in their wizard tower making out and performing rituals or whatever the hell it is that they do up there, so it’s  _ our _ job to pick up the slack! They’ll definitely thank us.”

The girl’s chuckles turned into a full-fledged laugh and she pushed herself off of the arm of the couch and crossed her legs onto the cushion beside Leliana. “Okay, okay,” she started, suppressing her giggles before furrowing her brows and continuing on in a nasally drawl. “Now tell me, young lady, what are your intentions with my little girl?”

Before Leliana could answer the man burst into a fit of laughter. “What the  _ hell _ was that voice, you sounded  _ nothing _ like Revka!”

The girl opened her mouth in offence, switching back to her normal voice. “I was supposed to be Quentin!” She cried.

“You sounded nothing like  _ him _ either!”

“Well you try then, it’s not  _ my  _ fault that he sounds like that!”

“He  _ doesn’t _ sound like that!!”

“She’s awake?” A new voice cut through the laughter and the two quieted immediately, straightening up at the new figure approaching them. “You guys were supposed to come to get me when she woke up!”

Leliana saw her and felt her blood turn cold. She had only glimpsed her briefly before her frantic sprint through the trees, but she was certain of it. This was the woman who had crawled up from the earth, who had chased her to the bridge. Who had  _ somehow _ dragged her to this place full of the dead. She wanted to run, and all of her survival instincts were screaming at her to, but she had nowhere to go. The lanky man was still sitting on her left, the shorter girl to her right, and now the woman who had brought her here loomed in front of her.

Leliana could fully see her now, in the flickering glow of this lounge as opposed to the gloom of the woods by moonlight. She was tall, with grey, almond eyes, a long, slightly curved nose and impossibly straight red hair falling to her waist. She would have been pretty, had it not been for her bloodless, pale skin that seemed to be stretched too tightly across her protruding bones. Patches of it were either greying or missing entirely, and one of her arms had been entirely stripped of tissue, leaving only bone. It was on this hand that the ring meant for Amalia still sat. 

What was perhaps most disturbing of it all was the dress she wore. The white fabric was unbelievably dirty and fraying, the lace covering her corseted torso pilled and ripping away from the seams. The ruffles at the bottom were nearly black, losing their shape and eaten away to almost indistinguishability. It was still obvious though. It was a wedding dress. A long-buried, long-forgotten wedding dress.

Just as Leliana was eyeing up the nearest exit, ready to run, the woman’s face broke out into a grin and she rushed forward, sweeping up Leliana and embracing her tightly in her arms.

“Oh, I’m  _ so glad _ you’ve finally woken up! It feels as if we’ve been waiting for  _ ages _ !” The woman held onto Leliana with an iron grip, crushing her face into her body as she looked back at the two still on the couch. “And you’ve had time to get to know Sofia and Jaydin, that’s  _ wonderful _ !”

With a quick giggle, the girl, Sofia, brushed past. “You’re suffocating her, Joyce.” The woman in the wedding dress immediately let go, holding a dazed Leliana out at arms length and bent down to look at her.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! You have to breathe, don’t you?” The bride- Joyce, she had been called- continued babbling on, but Leliana could barely hear her over the ringing in her ears and the fuzziness at the corners of her vision. She had been certain this was a terrible nightmare, but as time wore on everything looked,  _ felt _ , too real. 

The loud, high sound of metal clinging against glass broke her thoughts, and she looked in the direction of the noise to see Sofia, now standing on top of the bar, half-full glass in one hand and a metal knife in the other.

“All right guys, settle down!” She called out, gazing out over the sea of bodies with a smile. One by one, the countless overlapping voices quieted, until it was just the lively music floating through the air. “Now that both of our brides are awake and accounted for, we can really get this reception started! So first and foremost, a toast!” Sofia held the glass out high above her, “to the newlyweds!”

Cheers erupted throughout the room, and Leliana felt herself blanche. “Did she say ‘newlyweds’?” she asked Joyce.

The dead woman spun her around, smiling ear to ear. “Oh, in the woods, you said your vows so beautifully!” She held up her skeletal hand, Leliana’s ring still upon her finger. “It nearly took my breath away! Or it would have if I still had any.” She said with a giggle.

And what could Leliana say to that? So she stood, still and unspeaking, as dozens of corpses made their way to the couple, giving them well wishes and congratulating them on the nuptials. She had spotted the nearest exit- it was only a few meters to her right, it would be easy enough to sprint through without drawing too much attention. But Joyce had an iron grip on her hand, clutching it so hard Leliana could swear she heard her bones creaking as Joyce smiled and chatted with the guests.

And so Leliana waited, counted her breaths, tried to remain calm and innocuous, until finally,  _ finally _ , she felt Joyce’s grip on her hand lessen. She didn’t know who eventually pulled her away. She didn’t bother to look when her hand was released and she felt Joyce's body shift. She just bolted.

Leliana was right in her assumption that the nearby door would be easy to exit without being spotted. Amongst the revelry of the crowd, no one noticed her slip away.

And once again, Leliana found herself running, not sure where she was headed other than  _ away _ . As she exited the bar, she realized there was a whole city here. Her feet pounded against the cobblestone as she ran, passing by various shops all closed down for the night, looking for someplace,  _ anyplace _ , to hide while she gathered her thoughts.

Her gaze narrowed onto a side alley, thin enough for her to slide into and dark enough to conceal her presence. Just as she turned her feet to slip through the space, something grabbed at the back of her coat and pulled her backwards.

“If you were looking for the bathroom, this isn’t it.” Said a vaguely familiar voice, and Leliana turned to see Sofia, clutching onto her coat, all of the jovial energy she was exuding before now vanished. Beside her stood Jaydin, arms crossed. 

And Leliana had had it. She was cold and scared and tired and her feet hurt from all of the running, and now she wasn’t even able to hide from it all.

“Obviously I wasn’t looking for the bathroom!” She said, and her voice was shrill and cracking and she could feel the tears burning at her eyes but she didn’t  _ care _ . “I don’t know where I am or what you people have done with me, and you won’t leave me alone and this can’t be  _ real _ !” The tears had spilled over. Leliana wasn’t yelling anymore. “This  _ can’t be real _ .”

Sofia’s grip on Leliana’s coat loosened, and she looked up at Jaydin. Their faces had changed, Leliana noticed. It wasn’t anger moulding their features anymore. It was pity.

Sofia let go of her coat entirely and moved her hand to Leliana’s shoulder. “You know, we all thought that too. That this wasn’t real.”

“One minute you’re lying in bed, thinking if you can just make it through tonight, maybe you’ll start feeling better. Then you wake up surrounded by corpses.” Jaydin chimed in. “I freaked out too. So did Sof, ‘till I found her.”

Sofia nodded. “We  _ know _ it’s disorienting and strange beyond belief. But regardless of how we all got here, this is where we are now. So we’ve gotta make the best of it.”

“I’m not  _ like _ you two.” Leliana insisted. “I didn’t die! I was dragged here by your crazy bride friend!”

Sofia visibly winced. “Yeah. Joyce.” She looked to Jaydin seemingly for help, but he just grimaced and raised his shoulders. “She’s a good person,” Sofia continued, “just. A lot. And she can get carried away. And it’s not her fault that she’s stuck.”

“What do you mean ‘stuck’?” Leliana asked. She wasn’t sure if these two were genuinely being kind or if it was just a plot to cozy up before killing her, but it was enough to make her relax slightly.

This time Jaydin was the one who spoke. “If a death is particularly traumatic, or if the person isn’t ready to let go, they can get stuck,” he said, “It’s like an obsession, almost. There’s something unfinished they absolutely  _ need _ to do, and it’ll be at the forefront of their minds until they accomplish it. Some will even risk going back to the surface to do it.”

“And that’s what happened to Joyce?” Leliana asked. 

“Yeah. It’s… rough. Her death was not great.”

Leliana looked back and forth between the two corpses in front of her, raising an eyebrow in question.

Sofia and Jaydin locked eyes for a moment, facial expressions subtly changing in what Leliana could only assume was a silent conversation. Finally, Sofia sighed.

“We’re not like.  _ Bad friends _ for telling you.” She said.

Jaydin nodded along enthusiastically. “Yeah. Yeah! We just realize that you’re caught up in this and so you should know why it’s happening!”

“Exactly!” Sofia said. “If anything we’re being  _ good _ friends because maybe if you know, you can help get her unstuck!”

“Will you please stop stalling and just  _ tell me _ ?” Leliana said.

“Right,” Sofia said, lowering her voice. “But let’s walk back while we talk so we’re not missed at the party.”

As Sofia and Jaydin turned to walk away, Leliana knew that would have been an opportune time to run. But where could she even go? These two seemed her best bet for answers, and so begrudgingly, she followed, slipping herself into the space between the two of them while Sofia spoke in a low voice.

“Joyce was separated from her parents when she was pretty little. Sent off to this boarding school for troubled kids. And I think because she was taken away from them, she idolized her parents.”

“They’re  _ super _ weird.” Jaydin cut in.

Sofia nodded her head in agreement. “ _ Insanely _ weird. But also _very_ in love, pretty much obsessed with each other. And because Joyce idolized them so much, I think she wanted something like that too.

Not long after she graduated out of that boarding school, she found out her parents had died, and she was supposed to go back to her hometown to accept her family’s money and take care of her four younger siblings.”

They turned a corner and slowed down as the bar came into view.

“When she went back home and became head of the family, she met an older woman. Apparently, she was very charming, a recent widow, and she seduced Joyce easily. She’d always dreamed of a passionate romance, and that’s what this woman gave her. She fell hard. So hard that she couldn’t stand to wait to plan out a proper wedding, and they married only a week after meeting.”

Sofia stood still, holding her arms against her chest. She stared down at her feet, tried to speak again but her voice got caught in her throat. Jaydin placed his hand on her shoulder.

“On their wedding night, the woman told Joyce to meet her in the woods,” he continued, “said she had something for her. So Joyce went, excited for whatever surprise her new wife had set up.”

He turned his eyes away from Sofia, looking so intently at Leliana she was certain he was gazing right through her. “And while Joyce stood alone in the woods, waiting for her, the woman came up from behind and slit her throat. Don't know what happened to her after. Probably collected the family money and skipped town.”

Leliana didn’t want to feel sympathy for Joyce. The woman had chased her through the woods, kidnapped her, and was now claiming they were married. Leliana wanted to feel only anger.

And yet, as she considered being killed by someone she thought she loved, her heart began to break. Perhaps not for Joyce. Leliana wasn’t going to forgive her. But for her situation? For a young woman, manipulated and killed before her time? For that, she could mourn.

“And now Joyce is stuck,” Jaydin continued. “Waiting for a passionate woman to come to sweep her off of her feet the way she thought  _ that _ woman was going to.” He paused, glancing up and down Leliana for a brief second. “Then you came along. And we know this isn’t where you want to be, but we love Joyce dearly, and she’s been through enough heartbreak as it is. Don’t try to run away again.”

Sofia grabbed tightly onto Leliana’s hand. “Let’s get back to the reception, we’ve been gone too long.”

Leliana  _ knew _ she shouldn’t have trusted them so easily. But, as they pulled her along back into the dizzyingly loud bar, a plan was beginning to form. They had said that Joyce was stuck and that there was the potential to become  _ unstuck _ if she completed her unfinished business. Maybe if Joyce could do that, she would let Leliana go.

Back at the reception, Sofia stuck a hand up into the air and waved it around frantically. “Joyce!” she called, and not long after the bride herself pushed through the crowd toward them.

“There you guys are!” She exclaimed, grabbing Leliana’s free hand and once again cupping it into her own. “I’ve been looking all around for you three!”

“Just showing Leliana around a bit,” Jaydin said, “we weren’t planning on being gone for long.”

Joyce just smiled. Leliana wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but her smile was slightly off-putting. Just a little too large. “Everyone has been asking to meet you!” she said. She had just begun to pull Leliana back into the crowd when Sofia’s voice interrupted.

“Wait, Joyce,” she said. Joyce stopped and turned back to her friend. “Your parents told me earlier they wouldn’t be able to make it down to the party. You should bring Leliana up to meet them!”

Joyce’s grin somehow grew even wider. “Would you like to meet my parents, Leliana? They’re absolutely wonderful.”

Leliana absently thought back to Sofia and Jaydin both confirming that Joyce’s parents were “super weird”, but it wasn’t as if she could refuse. So she forced a smile and nodded. Maybe going through the motions of a relationship such as meeting her parents would help break Joyce’s unfinished business. It was a long shot, but at the moment it was the best Leliana could do.

They took another twenty minutes saying goodbye to everyone at the party, Joyce thanking them all for coming, telling them to continue celebrating even though the brides would be gone. Sofia and Jaydin each hugged Joyce goodbye, wishing Leliana luck with Quentin and Revka. Despite their obvious loyalty to Joyce, Leliana was sad to see them go. They were unsettling in their own right, but at least with them around she had somewhat of a barrier between her and Joyce. Now it was just the two of them, hand in hand, as Joyce led her through this city of the dead.

High above, not a single star could be seen, and Leliana shuddered when she considered that they were  _ actually _ underground.

“I’m sorry if Sofia and Jaydin were a bit.  _ Much _ . For you.” Joyce said as they turned a corner down another abandoned street. “They were very close friends in life, so they can be a little overwhelming. And protective.”

Leliana tried not to roll her eyes. That was certainly  _ one _ way of describing those two.

“I like them though,” Joyce continued, “They remind me of my old friends from school. Back when I was alive. I miss them a lot, so having those two around helps.”

As she chatted, Joyce led her along cobblestone streets, and Leliana noticed the number of shops and houses thinning as they continued along. Eventually, the stone turned to dirt, as Joyce led her through a meadow full of small, blue flowers. It was quite beautiful if Leliana could forget for a moment just where she was.

“That’s where my parents live!” Joyce said, breaking her thoughts, and Leliana looked up to where she was pointing. Jaydin hadn’t been just goofing off when he said that they lived in a wizard tower.

The meadow ended with a small hill, and on top of that, a circular building at least five stories tall burst up from the ground. It was made of ancient-looking stone bricks, and if Leliana squinted she was certain she could see lights of different colours glowing behind the windows of the top floor.

The heavy oak double doors creaked as Joyce threw them open, and Leliana followed her inside. 

There was a threadbare carpet on the floor, a few candelabras, but aside from that, the room was empty. Dust gathered in heaps on the floor, but Joyce paid no mind to it, dragging Leliana by the hand toward the grand staircase on the opposite side of the desolate entryway.

As Joyce led her up the stairs, Leliana felt herself grow ever wearier. With each floor they passed by, another room full of oddities was met. The third floor was entirely filled with taxidermied animals, and Leliana truly tried to rush Joyce through that one.

Finally, they arrived at the fifth floor, and Leliana was certain she could hear chanting through the door. She was almost prepared to turn back, but then Joyce knocked loudly on the door before throwing it open.

“Mom! Dad! I brought Leliana to come to meet you!” She called out, tugging on Leliana’s arm and pulling her into the room.

It was massive. Books written in languages Leliana couldn’t comprehend were scattered about the place, stacked up on top of each other forming massive walls, or thrown into messy piles all across the floor. Dried plants and stopped bottles filled with unknown liquids were thrown about haphazardly. Leliana was too busy watching her feet to make sure she didn’t step on anything to notice the other two people in the room until they started speaking.

“Joyce!” A woman’s voice shrieked. Leliana quickly looked up to see a short woman rushing over to them. Her right eye was completely missing, leaving only an empty socket. Leliana tried not to stare as the woman grabbed Joyce and Leliana by the back of the necks, pulling them both down into a near suffocating hug. “Quentin!” The woman shouted again, and Leliana winced at the voice so close to her ear. “Quick! They’re here!”

Leliana couldn’t see much, crushed into the woman- who she assumed to be Revka-’s bosom as she was, but she heard a voice from across the room call back “They’re here! I’m coming, I’m coming!”, the dull  _ thud  _ of someone falling and shuffling to right themself , and then quick footsteps before a second pair of arms enveloped her further.

It wasn’t long before Leliana’s lungs grew tight, a lack of air from the suffocating group hug getting to her. She was too enveloped to actually move away, so instead, she flailed her arms about, smacking Joyce repeatedly before she seemed to get the message and pulled back, dragging Leliana out of the hug.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! I keep forgetting you need to breathe!” Joyce said as Leliana sucked oxygen back into her lungs.

“Ooh, a  _ breather _ ,” Quentin said, grabbing Leliana’s face in his hand. It was skeletal, like his daughters, all of the flesh eaten away after years of being buried. The bone of his thumb pressed into her cheek, and he stared intently at the warm flesh moving under his grasp. “It’s been so long since we’ve had a  _ living _ person come see us. So much harder to study without a subject.”

Joyce giggled. “She’s not a subject, Dad.” She flashed her hand, still adorned with Leliana’s ring. “She’s my  _ wife _ .”

“We’re  _ so delighted _ to meet you!” Revka said. “We’ve been waiting so long for our dear Joyce to bring her wife home to us.” She grabbed both girls by the hands, standing back to look them over and sighed with a smile. Quentin went over to her too, standing behind his wife, draped over her shoulders, and the two gazed at the newlyweds, completely unblinking. And gazed. And  _ gazed _ . Leliana could feel herself start to fidget.  _ ‘How long are they just going to stare at us?’ _ she wondered. But she had to suffer through it. If meeting her parents could help Joyce move on from her “unfinished business” or whatever it was Sofia and Jaydin had told her, then Leliana would just have to stiffen her lips and follow through.  _ ‘Anything to get back to Amalia’ _ .

Without warning, Revka dropped their hands, clapping hers together loudly. “Well!” She exclaimed, “let’s get to dinner then!”

“You eat?” Leliana asked, feeling her face flush when she realized she had voiced her surprise out loud.

“It’s not necessary,” Quentin said. He looked over to his wife, before continuing, “but we can still partake in certain pleasures.”

Revka swatted his arm playfully.

The table that she led them too was off on the other side of the room, where Revka had come rushing over from when Leliana and Joyce had first entered. It was precariously balanced on the countless books carpeting the floor, with only three chairs surrounding it.

Leliana gestured to the chairs as Quentin pulled one out and sat. “Should I grab another chair?” She asked.

“Oh, whatever for?” Revka said, before sitting herself down directly on her husband’s lap. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed up the side of her neck, while Revka continued to look at Leliana as if what was happening was completely normal.

“No reason… I guess.” She took her seat beside Joyce across the table from them. If what Joyce needed to let go was a “perfect romance”, then Leliana would have to get along with her parents. Eccentric as they were. 

The dinner was a struggle, but Leliana forced herself to smile through it. Quentin poured a wine that looked suspiciously like blood yet was lightly smoking, which Leliana politely declined under the lie that she didn’t drink. The roast that Revka brought out looked surprisingly normal, and Leliana had to admit that she was famished. She tried her best to stomach it with Revka and Quentin across from her, but it was difficult. At one point, they both stood to recite their wedding vows to each other, which Joyce commented they do nightly with a wistful look on her face.

At one point during a lull in the conversation, Leliana leaned into Joyce. “Maybe it’s a good thing you can never meet my parents, there’s  _ no way _ they could ever live up to yours.”

Revka paused from her task of hand-feeding her husband appetizers. “She can’t meet your parents?” She asked, “Why ever not?”

“They’re still alive,” Leliana explained, “Aren’t we stuck down here?”

Quentin and Revka burst into laughter. “ _ Most _ people are stuck down here,” Quentin said, “ _We_ have magic.”

“Magic?” Leliana asked.

Joyce nodded enthusiastically. “They study all sorts of things! Magic included!” She turned back to her parents. “Do you have anything that could send us back to meet Leliana’s family?”

Revka was already up and heading back to the massive window behind her, while Leliana’s mind was whirling. They could send her  _ back _ ? Right now, so easily? 

Revka opened the window and let out a loud whistle. A new plan was forming in Leliana’s head as a massive raven flew in and perched itself on Revka’s arm. If they could send her and Joyce back up to the world of the living, Leliana  _ could _ abandon Joyce somewhere. A little cruel, and certainly it wouldn’t last long before Joyce went looking for her… but if Leliana could get even a dozen minutes away from her to find some help, just to tell someone where she was… 

Quentin whispered some words into the raven's ear and it squawked loudly, rapidly flapping its wings about while still clutching to Revka’s arm. He put his hand underneath it, and out popped a golden egg before the raven flew away back out through the open window.

“A Ukrainian haunting spell,” He said, holding up the egg proudly. “This will send you two back up to the land of the living.”

“When you want to return home, just say the word “hopscotch!” Revka added on.

Joyce giggled. “Hopscotch?” She asked.

Revka sighed wistfully. “Your favourite game as a child. Right after “rat and seek” of course!”

Leliana chose not to ask what that game entailed.

She didn’t have much time to ruminate on it, as Quentin cracked the egg on the corner of the table and a rich golden cloud emerged, enveloping the girls completely.

The last thing Leliana heard was Revka, ensuring that the girls send Leliana’s family their love.

~~~

When Leliana opened her eyes, she almost teared up. She was  _ back _ . Through the barren trees, she could see the moon high above, stars twinkling in the sky through the clouds. The snow had begun to fall while she had been away, and the soft white flakes crunched under her feet. They were unfortunately back in the woods, but she didn’t care. She could find her way back from here, she  _ knew _ she could!

Then Joyce came up from behind, staring up at the sky in awe.

“When you spend all of your time underground, it’s so easy to forget just how beautiful the moon is.” She said, reaching a hand up to the sky as if to touch it.

And then she began spinning. Slow loops around the clearing, arms spread wide. It looked like a dance, but only Joyce could hear the music. It would have been endearing if Leliana hadn’t just been plotting how to get rid of her.

She grabbed Joyce by the shoulders, allowing herself to be pulled around in a few loops while Joyce hummed with her eyes turned up to the stars, before slowing them down and stopping their movement.

“Look, Joyce,” Leliana began, and Joyce turned her gaze from the sky to look down at her, a gentle smile still gracing her face. “About meeting my parents-”

“I’m very excited about it!” Joyce cut in, before realizing her interruption and letting out a soft “sorry”.

“Right.” Leliana continued, “see the thing is, they’re very fragile. Not like your parents. And I think just showing up with you out of the blue might shock them.”

Joyce seemed put out, but nodded, so Leliana continued. “I still want you to meet them of course! I just think this would be easier for all of us if I went first, alone. Just to give them a heads up? And then I’ll bring them back here to meet you!”

Joyce’s smile returned. “That sounds lovely!”

“Great. So I just need you to sit here, close your eyes, and don’t move, okay?”

“Okay!” Joyce replied, setting herself down onto the trunk of a fallen tree, gently closing her eyes and placing her hands in her lap.

“No peeking?” Leliana said, slowly backing up, not turning away from Joyce.

“No peeking!” Joyce confirmed, and Leliana let out a sigh of relief.

She turned on her heel and ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will never be able to truly capture the insane goth energy of Quentin and Revka :(
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up sometime tomorrow <3


	4. Victor's Deception/Tears to Shed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no real notes this time... enjoy chapter 4!

The snow crunched with each rapid footfall as Leliana once again found herself running through the woods toward town. She wasn’t foolish enough to think that she could just abandon Joyce in the woods and she wouldn’t come looking for her, but perhaps she could get away from long enough to explain to her parents what had happened and find help.

As the trees cleared and the town came into view, Leliana didn’t stop at the little cobblestone bridge this time, instead continuing on through the dead and darkened streets toward her family home.

Before today, Leliana never would have described her home town as “ominous”. Now, as she ran through it with only the glow of the moon to guide her and an invisible clock ticking down the minutes before the corpse she had abandoned in the woods would eventually come after her, it was the only word that seemed to do the empty shops and darkened windows any justice.

As she passed by the massive clock in the center of town, it’s illuminated surface read that it was nearly 3 am. Normally her parents would certainly be asleep by now, but Leliana was sure that the light in the study would still be on tonight, where her mother would be busy fretting and her father fruitlessly attempting to calm her.

She felt her heart sink as she approached her family home to find all of the lights extinguished. But perhaps her parents had simply worried themselves to sleep. Perhaps if she knocked loud enough, they would throw open the doors, hold her tightly in an embrace and save her from the godawful situation she found herself in.

Leliana grabbed the iron knocker in both fists, pounding it against the large wooden door over and over. There were no lights flickering on through the windows, no sounds of salvation, but she refused to stop. She could feel her fingers blistering against the metal and she clutched the knocker tighter, ignoring the pain in her hands as she knocked relentlessly harder.

Finally, her knocking slowed. The wounds on her hands had opened again, fresh blood coating her fingers and the iron knocker. No one was home, that much was clear, but she had wasted so much time here! Leliana wasn’t sure how far Joyce’s patience would drag on, but she had already been away from her for at least fifteen minutes.

Then it struck her. Perhaps her parents weren’t at home because they were still at the Everglots! That would be the only reasonable explanation for their absence.

Filled with new resolve, Leliana took off once again, fully aware of just how little time she probably had. The Everglot’s estate was quite a distance away, but a combination of empty streets and running full sprint would hopefully get her there with enough time to find her parents for help.

The Everglot’s long drive was unfortunate when travelling on foot, and Leliana had to keep her eyes from wandering into the dark mass of trees on either side. Joyce was in there- could be tracking her by now- but she couldn’t focus on that. She had to take this one goal at a time, and right now that meant getting inside the Everglot’s manor and finding her parents.

When the door finally rose up in front of her, Leliana couldn’t bother with formalities. The time it may have taken for someone to get to the door and let her in could be the time it took for Joyce to catch up and drag her back under the ground. Without even a single knock, she pressed down on the door handle to thankfully find it unlocked, creeping inside and turning the lock behind her. She truly doubted a locked door would stop Joyce if it came down to it, but one more obstacle for her wouldn’t hurt.

It wasn’t until she was inside that Leliana realized that the only rooms she knew how to get to were the music room and the rehearsal hall, but it was too late for her to turn back now. Turning on her heel, she strode down the corridor to the rehearsal hall, sure that it was a far more likely location for her parents than the music room.

She was so engrossed in her own little mission, she wouldn’t have heard the footsteps that came toward her if they hadn’t been accompanied by an all too familiar voice speaking her name.

When Marjolaine called out to her, Leliana froze.  _ Why couldn’t that woman just leave her alone? _ But when Lady Everglot replied, Leliana understood that Marjolaine wasn’t speaking  _ to _ her, but  _ about _ her.

Leliana dipped inside an open door, pressed her body as flush against the wall as she could manage while the voices grew closer. 

“I swear, if I see that girl again I’m going to  _ strangle _ her,” Lady Everglot said, “Does she not understand how important this is?”

“Ah, she’s just nervous,” came Marjolaine’s reply, “I remember I was as well on the eve of my own wedding.” She paused. “Granted, not enough to run away. I never would have done that to my darling betrothed.”

“Well, isn’t your wife a lucky one, then,” Lady Everglot said. “May I ask though, if you’re married, why isn’t she here?”

Marjolaine stopped just outside of the door, and Leliana held her breath until she turned to the woman beside her. “Ah,” she said, “when I say “married”, it is past-tense. I  _ was _ married, years ago, but an unfortunate tragedy stole my young bride away from me. It’s been nearly a decade now, but I’ve yet to remarry.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Lady Everglot said, her remorse sounding genuine. She leaned against the wall, placing her forehead gently in her hands and let out a breathy laugh, no real humour behind the action. ”Well, I may have a child in need of a bride on my hands.”

Marjolaine placed a hand on her shoulder, a sympathetic look in her eyes. “I wouldn’t write the Van Dort girl off so quickly,” she said, “How long did you give her parents to find her, again?”

“Until dawn,” Lady Everglot replied, lifting her head from her hands to meet Marjolaine’s gaze.

“It will all work out,” Marjolaine assured her. She took Lady Everglot’s hands in her own and slowly pulled her away from the wall. “But for now let’s get you to bed. You’re looking very pale.”

Leliana waited until the women’s footsteps had long since vanished down the hall before she exited her hiding place. She had learned a few things- her parents were out looking for her, Marjolaine was still hanging around, and Lady Everglot wanted to strangle her.

Unfortunately, neither Lady Everglot nor Marjolaine had actually mentioned where her parents  _ were _ , and there was certainly no time to go searching for them. Which left her one option.

Turning back to the direction she came, Leliana made her way to the only other room she knew in this house, praying Amalia had been understating when she said she didn’t spend much time in the music room anymore.

It was difficult, remembering just which corners she had taken to get to the music room just earlier that day, but eventually, the portraits lining the walls began to look familiar. Leliana’s heart sank as she realised there was no sound coming from the room, but the door was slightly propped open, so she entered anyway, praying Amalia was simply taking a break and was in there.

As she threw open the door, she heard a sudden gasp and clamour, followed by the breaking of glass as Amalia stumbled from the sudden intrusion, and Leliana couldn’t help the grin of relief that spread across her face.

And then Amalia stood and looked back at her, and Leliana realized that it wasn’t Amalia. 

It was the girl from before, the serving girl who had led her and Amalia back to the rehearsal hall, who had covered for them in front of their parents. Neria stood before her like a wild animal facing down a hunter, eyes wide and clutching a feather duster to her chest, the remains of what used to be a flower pot shattered at her feet. Neither said a word, the only movement from Neria’s eyes as they darted up and down Leliana’s body, taking in her tattered appearance and filling with questions. Finally, she broke the silence.

“What the  _ hell _ are you doing here?”

“Well, I-” Leliana was cut off by a lung-crushing hug. Neria was small- the top of her head rested only at Leliana’s collar bone- but her grip was tight. Her voice was muffled in Leliana’s chest, but she could still vaguely make out the words.

“I thought you’d have frozen to death out there by now,” Neria said, pulling away only slightly. “Your parents are out looking for you! Are you okay? So much has happened while you’ve been gone.”

“I don’t know if I’m okay or not,” Leliana began, “it’s a very long and frankly, a very odd story.” She stopped for a moment. Should she tell Neria all that had happened? She had helped her out before, and seemed trustworthy enough. But she had also mentioned so much happening here while Leliana had been gone, and  _ god _ , she couldn’t keep up. So many questions to ask, and she had so little time for it all.

“What all happened here?” She finally settled on. “Is Amalia okay?”

Neria grimaced. “Amalia’s okay. She’s up in her room. But after you left… well, everyone had just assumed that you ran away. Lady Everglot wanted to cancel the wedding, said that their family has been through enough and they didn’t need a flaky bride on their hands to top it all off.”

Leliana’s pride stung at that, but she tried to keep it hidden as Neria continued on.

“Your parents begged Lady Everglot to give them until dawn to find you before she called off the wedding for good. They left only twenty minutes after you did, I assume they’re still out there looking for you. Lord and Lady Everglot are  _ not _ happy with you. Amalia locked herself up in her room once _your_ parents left and _hers_ started fighting.”

Neria fixed Leliana with a pointed stare before continuing.

“And then there’s Ms.Marjolaine.” 

Leliana tried not to wince.

“She offered to stay and assist lady Everglot with any loose ends, as well as inform her as soon as you were found.”

“Are you going to tell her I’m here?” Leliana asked.

Neria shrugged, not breaking eye contact with Leliana as she stared her down. “I won’t if you tell me how you know her and why she’s here.”

Leliana tried to laugh, but found that only a sharp exhale could escape her. “I swear, I’m usually a better liar than this.”

Neria just raised an eyebrow in doubt. Leliana sighed. At the very least, Neria didn’t seem the type to rat her out, and clearly, she cared for Amalia’s interests. If what Leliana were about to tell her got out, it would only hurt Amalia in the end.

“Marjolaine and I used to meet. Often, and in secret,” she said. “She was so charming, and I suppose I simply couldn’t help myself. She taught me things. Things I never could have learned on my own.” She paused a moment, taking a deep breath. “I thought we were in love. She tried to convince me to run away with her, to elope together. I refused. I didn’t want to abandon my family. She got angry, and so I ran.” Leliana broke Neria’s gaze, looking down at her feet as she finished. “I never thought I would see her again, until she showed up today.”

Neria’s face betrayed no emotion as she pondered the new information. “How long ago was this?” She finally asked.

“Just under a year,” Leliana said.

Neria looked up again, her eyes suddenly filled with understanding. “Ah,” she said, “so that’s why you’re sneaking around? And why you freaked out and ran away and spent all night alone in the woods?”

“Well, no,” Leliana began, “it’s more than that.” Neria looked up at her expectantly, but Leliana could only sigh. Neria had proven she could be trusted, but she didn’t have the time to explain everything to her. She  _ needed _ to get to Amalia.

“You won’t believe me if I tell you,” Leliana continued. “ _ Please _ , just take me to see Amalia.”

Something in her voice must have sounded desperate because Neria didn’t ask any more questions. She simply nodded, taking Leliana by the hand and leading her out of the room, through the twisting hallways and up grand staircases, until finally, they stopped outside of a locked door.

Pressing a finger to her lips in a signal to keep quiet, Neria knocked five times in quick succession, paused, and then knocked twice more. After a few moments of agonizing silence, the lock on the door clicked, and the door opened. Amalia’s eyes widened briefly at the view of Neria holding Leliana by the arm outside of her bedroom door before Neria quickly muttered “You two have much to discuss,” and left back the way they had come.

Amalia gazed after her friend for a moment, before grabbing Leliana by the arm and pulling her inside, quickly locking the door once again behind her. Amalia’s hands gripped at Leliana’s upper arms, her eyes frantically working up and down her body, taking in her torn clothes, the dirt and grime and blood coating her, her gaze shifting from confusion to worry.

“What  _ happened _ to you? Are you okay?” She asked. 

And what could Leliana even say to that? She opened her mouth, tried to speak, found no words could crawl their way out of her throat. What had happened to her? Was she okay? She didn’t know the answers herself, let alone how to explain them to Amalia. When wet, sticky tears began to roll down her cheeks, Leliana did nothing to stop them. How many times had she cried tonight? Three? Four? What was the point in trying to stop it now?

So she cried, leaning her head onto Amalia’s shoulder, staining her expensive clothes with her tears. Amalia said nothing, wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and patiently listened to her sobs.

Eventually, Amalia pulled back just enough to cup Leliana’s hand in her own, turning her bloodied palms upward to examine them. Leliana chose to blame it on her sobs when her breath hitched as Amalia stroked her palm, ever so gently avoiding the torn flesh.

“Sit,” she said, pulling her back to the edge of her bed. “I’ll wrap these for you.”

Leliana numbly nodded, her tears salty in her mouth as they ran past her lips and she sat patiently on the edge of Amalia’s bed, watching her cross her room to pull some bandage, a bottle and cloth out of a cupboard drawer. She came back, knelt down at Leliana’s feet and held out a hand to her. Without hesitation, Leliana gave her hand back to her, palm up. 

When Amalia pressed the cloth soaked with whatever was in the bottle to her wounds she instinctively flinched back from the sting of it. The smile Amalia gave her was reassuring and warm as she continued cleaning the cuts, and Leliana forced herself to bear through the pain. Finally, when she was finished, Amalia set to work meticulously wrapping the bandages around Leliana’s hands. They stayed that way, for a while, Leliana perched cautiously on the edge of Amalia’s bed, Amalia positioned between her knees, wrapping her hands.

Sitting like that, Leliana could feel herself relax for the first time since she had woken up that morning. Amalia’s eyes were focused on her work, and Leliana’s chest finally began to loosen.

“I’m sorry that I ran,” Leliana eventually said. “It wasn’t because I don’t want to marry you. Earlier this morning, I admit, I was scared, but then I met you and…” Amalia said nothing. Her fingers continued to work, delicately wrapping Leliana’s hands in the bandages. “And I wasn’t scared anymore. Maybe even, excited, to have the opportunity to build a life with you. To get to know you.”

Amalia smiled. “I feel the same,” She said.

“It became overwhelming,” Leliana continued, “there’s so much resting on our marriage, and then Marjolaine was here too and I fumbled. I ruined everything.”

Amalia finished off her work, tying off the second bandage and giving Leliana’s wrapped hands a soft pat before looking up at her, still crouched on the floor, hands now resting on Leliana’s knees.

“Nothing is ruined,” Amalia said, “We can go explain to our parents, and everything will play out tomorrow according to plan. You’re back now. It’s all going to be okay.”

Leliana shook her head. “ _ No _ ,” she said, “It’s not going to be okay. You don’t understand, something  _ happened _ and I need help and…” She trailed off as she noticed Amalia no longer paying attention. Instead, her eyes were glued to the glass door of the balcony, filled with confusion.

“What is it?” Leliana asked.

She turned just in time to see a skeletal hand pull its way up over the top of the balcony railing. Amalia’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as a second hand appeared, followed by forearms, shoulders, a head adorned with familiar long red locks and torn veil.

“Amalia!” Amalia shot upwards, and Leliana grabbed her by the shoulders before she could run. “Whatever she says to you, know that it was unintentional!” 

Amalia’s looked on the brink of running, but Leliana refused to let go. She couldn’t let her go now, not before she had a chance to explain. But there was no  _ time _ to explain, Joyce was on the balcony, and Leliana could hear the glass doors rattling as she tried to open them. And so she held on tighter, gripped Amalia’s shoulder as if her life depended on it. It may have.

“I want to marry you!” Leliana continued. Her voice sounded shrill and loud and foreign in her ears, but she  _ had _ to get through to Amalia, she  _ had to hear _ . “And she’s going to take me away and you need to find help okay?”

Amalia’s eyes hadn’t moved from the balcony doors. The rattling of the handles had grown more insistent. 

“Amalia!” Leliana shouted. Finally, Amalia looked at her, but the fear in her eyes remained. “Amalia, listen to me, okay?” She nodded. “I didn’t run away! She’s going to take me again and she has friends who won’t let me leave so please! Please just find me help! I don’t know who, my parents, or-”

The balcony doors opened with a crash. Leliana whipped around. Instinct pulled Amalia behind her.

“Hello darling, I’m sorry, I know you told me to stay put, but I was just getting so antsy!”

Joyce glided across the room, seemingly happily oblivious to the tension surrounding her. In her right hand, she clutched a dozen or so slightly wilted blue flowers, and with her left, she lightly caressed Leliana’s cheek. Amalia’s arms tightened around her.

“I stopped by the cemetery to pick up some flowers that were left behind for those friends of mine. They’re buried here and I thought they might like to see what people are leaving them!” Joyce continued, “but when you still weren’t back after that I started to get worried. So I just came by to make sure everything with your family was going alright!”

Finally, she stopped talking, taking in Leliana and Amalia tucked into each other’s arms. Joyce’s smile faltered only briefly, before being replaced by another one of her offputting, even larger ones.

“And who is this?” She asked, completely focused on Amalia. Leliana could feel her arms shaking around her. “A cousin, perhaps?”

When Amalia spoke, it was so quiet that Leliana could barely hear.

“What are you?”

Joyce’s eyes narrowed, but her smile remained. She lifted her left hand from Leliana’s cheek, throwing it in Amalia’s face with a flourish. The wedding ring sitting there glinted in the moonlight.

“I am her  _ wife _ .”

Leliana whipped around, just in time to watch Amalia’s face shift from fright to confusion. Why wouldn’t she be? She was well acquainted with the ring being shoved in her face- it had been periodically adorning her own hand just the previous afternoon. 

“Leliana?”

_ Shit shit shit _ . She couldn’t have Amalia thinking she had run off to marry someone else, no,  _ no _ , she had to know it was an accident, she had to go find Leliana  _ help _ . 

“Amalia, it was an accident!” She said. Grabbing Joyce’s skeletal hand, she gave it a shake. “She’s  _ dead! _ ”

Joyce’s hand was wrenched out of her grasp, and when Leliana glanced over at her, her face wore a look she had never seen on her before. Eyes narrowed, lips turned in a snarl. She gripped the front of Leliana’s coat, ripping her out of Amalia’s arms.

“Hopscotch,” she muttered under her breath.

Leliana didn’t even have the chance to reach out to Amalia before her vision blackened.

~~~

“You  _ lied _ to me!”

When the darkness cleared, Leliana found herself back in Quentin and Revka's tower. She had been shoved up against one of the many walls of books, Joyce’s distraught voice breaking through the scattered conversation that had been taking place before. 

Over at the same table she had last seen them, Revka and Quentin silently gawked, now joined by Sofia and Jaydin lounging across the surface. They must have come to visit after the reception to wait for Joyce’s return. All four of them had stopped mid-conversation when the women had rematerialized, ready to start their “congratulations”’s and their “how was the visit upstairs?”’s, before being cut short at Joyce’s outburst and Leliana getting shoved backwards.

A few of the books fell from their precarious position as Leliana’s back slammed up against the tower. The dozen flowers were still in Joyce’s fist, stems now cracking at the pressure of her grasp.

“You used my parents to send us back up there just so you could go see your  _ mistress _ ? That  _ other person _ with her arms all wrapped around you?”

“ _ No _ ”, Leliana hissed out. And she was done. This was all such  _ bullshit _ .  _ Joyce _ had kidnapped her,  _ Joyce _ had torn her away from her world of the living, from Amalia. Leliana would  _ not _ take the role of the offender. 

“ _ No! _ ” She cried, pushing herself off of the wall of books, toward where Joyce was seething in front of her. “ _ She _ is the one I’m engaged to!  _ She _ is my fiance,  _ you’re _ the one who stole me from  _ her _ !”

“ _ You’re married to ME _ !” Joyce held out her hand again, the ring on her finger still there. “You said your vows, out there in the woods, and you promised yourself to  _ ME! _ ”

“Why can’t you understand?” Leliana was yelling now. She didn’t care. “That was a MISTAKE Joyce! You’re _DEAD!_ I would _never_ marry you! _NO ONE WOULD!_ ”

All fight left the room as suddenly as air let out of a balloon. Joyce’s scowl dropped, replaced by a look of shock. And hurt. Leliana had to admit she saw that too. 

She didn’t say anything as Joyce dropped her head. Tried to ignore the sounds of her sniffles as she solemnly walked out. Refused to look Sofia and Jaydin in the eyes as they hurried past her and after their crying friend.

When she finally did look up, she did so with a glare to rival the ones Quentin and Revka were throwing her way. 

Leliana threw her hands up and stormed out of the tower before either of them could say or do anything to stop her.

~~~

“Joyce!”

Joyce heard Sofia calling out from behind her, but didn’t stop. The footsteps of her friends echoed behind her as she made her way down the tower stairs, but Joyce didn’t want to slow down. Not when Leliana was still up in that tower behind her, along with her parents who had just witnessed Joyce’s own wife say those things to her.

She only paused as she threw open the grand double doors outside, waiting at the crest of the meadowed hill for the two chasing her to catch up.

“Joyce, are you okay? What the hell happened up there?” Sofia’s voice came from behind her, a familiar hand resting on her shoulder.

“We’re here for you, whatever’s going on.” Jaydin supplied from her other side, offering her a supportive smile that Joyce couldn’t find it in herself to return. 

None of them were out of breath, and for the first time in a while, Joyce was far too aware of it. All three had just run down five flights of stairs. Had any of them needed to breathe, they would be panting by now. But they didn’t. They were dead.

Leliana wasn’t. If she were to run down the stairs and past them right now, they would be able to hear her fighting to catch her breath after the exertion. 

But there was no sound. No rise and fall of their chests. They had run down five flights of stairs and the only sound there to greet them was silence. How befitting of the dead.

Joyce heard a slight  _ crunch _ as she clenched her fist. Looking down, she still held the flowers that had been left at her friend’s graves, although they had been mostly crushed in her grip by now.  _ Good _ , a part of her thought.  _ Let all that I touch die with me _ . But then, no, that wasn’t fair. Sofia and Jaydin were just as dead as she, it was true, but they were still different. Still remembered. Still loved. Still deserving of the flowers someone had so lovingly placed to commemorate them.

Joyce wondered if anyone was left to leave flowers at  _ her _ grave. Her siblings, perhaps? Had they ever found her? Or, her body at least. Did they know she was dead? Were they grieving? Their beating hearts growing heavy, their breathing lungs tightening, tears rolling, sticky, down their blood-warmed cheeks? What of her dear friends, from school? Did  _ they _ know? Were they mourning her, or going about their lives as if she had never existed at all?

Something wet made its way down her face, and Joyce realized belatedly that she was crying. Funny, how the dead could still cry.

She loosened her grip on the flowers, passing the bent stalks off to Jaydin at her side.

“These were left for you two.” She said. Her voice sounded foreign- thick and getting stuck in her throat.

He took the flowers from her, wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, pulled her tight against his chest. She could feel Sofia too, huddling herself close against her back, wrapping her arms around them. 

They stood that way, for a while. Joyce letting the tears fall silently down her cheeks as her friends held her close. It wasn’t until they could hear another set of footsteps coming down the stairs that they finally broke apart. Based on the fact that it was only one set of footsteps and not a pair, Joyce could only assume it was Leliana, not her parents. She didn’t  _ want _ to see Leliana right now.

Her face must have shown it, because almost immediately, Jaydin piped up with “Why don’t we go somewhere else?”

Joyce nodded, and Sofia took her by the hand and the three of them continued on.

They walked in silence for a ways, through the meadow, along winding streets. Joyce wasn’t sure where they were leading her- she suspected they didn’t know themselves. Just away. Away from the tower. Away from Leliana. 

Not many people were out about town, and those who were seemed to know to keep their distance. Finally, Joyce spoke up.

“She was right, wasn’t she?” The other two looked at her but kept walking. “I’m dead. No one would want to marry me.”

Sofia’s hand in her own tightened in a reassuring squeeze, but still, neither said anything. Joyce found herself grateful for it. She didn’t want them to reassure her right now. She just wanted to speak.

“Maybe I should let her go,” She continued, “be with that other fiance. _She_ was alive.” Joyce sighed. “They belong together more than she and I do.”

“You don’t know that,” Jaydin said, finally breaking the silence. “What makes her better than you?”

“Did you not just hear me say she’s alive?”

“Sure, but what does that matter?” He asked. The three of them finally stopped, seeming to have found their destination at a bench in a run-down and forgotten park. It was a nice area, with one of those public pianos off to the side and an open view over the city of the dead. Sofia and Joyce sat down next to each other on the peeling wood seat, and Jaydin leaned over the back on Joyce’s other side.

“I just mean, if the only thing this other fiance’s got over you is “being alive”, that’s not a very high bar. They’re both going to die eventually anyway.”

“That’s true,” Sofia said, and Joyce couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “What does she have that you don’t?”

“A beating heart?” Joyce supplied.

“How about an extensive knowledge of taxidermy?” Jaydin said. “In no way is being alive more impressive than the creatures I’ve seen you and your mother recreate.”

“I’ll bet she sneezes in the cold,” Joyce said. “Her nose probably gets rosy in it too.”

“Do you think she can play the piano like you?” Sofia asked. “Or move like you do when we’re at the bar and the band strikes up a tune that has you pulling us to the dance floor without a care in the world?”

“I’ll bet she’s just a silly little thing who’s only redeeming quality is that she’s yet to die,” Jaydin said, “and that’s not going to last her very long.”

“No temporary state of living can outweigh your personality, Joyce.”

“ _ She’s _ not the one wearing Leliana’s ring!”

“Nothing can compare to the beauty of your smile when it lights up!”

“ _ Stop _ !” They both quieted at Joyce's outburst. She hadn’t meant to yell at them. But what were their words besides that?  _ Words _ ?

“It doesn’t  _ matter _ what you two think of me!” She said. It was growing difficult to speak between the growing sobs racking her chest. “If I touch an open flame, do you know what I feel?  _ Nothing _ . I feel nothing.” She looked down at her hand. The metal of the rings scraped up against the bare, exposed bone as she moved it. “I’m  _ dead _ . That’s all there is to it anymore. I lost my chance. And I’m starting to realize that there won’t be another.”


	5. Victoria's Escape/The Piano Duet/New Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the chapter I had finished ahead of time so a bitch is _struggling_ to get this finished oops.  
> It'll be fine.

Amalia’s curtains came tumbling to the ground with a loud  _ crash _ . She knew she should be more careful, or her mother would hear the noise and come up to check on her. But she didn’t have the time  _ or _ the state of mind to be careful. Every second she wasted was another moment Leliana was trapped with that.  _ Thing _ .

A corpse. A dead body that was somehow up and walking and had _taken_ Leliana. She had only seen a dead body once before- only briefly, lying in bed so still and so fresh she hadn’t even realized he was dead at first. And she had been quickly ushered out of the room once her screaming brought her parents running. When her dearest friend died not two weeks later, Amalia had been forbidden to see  _ that _ body. She hadn’t wanted to. She’d had enough of death, of bodies devoid of the life that once filled them.

But then.

When Neria brought Leliana to her door, Amalia’s heart  _ soared _ . Leliana was shaken and looked worse for wear, but she was  _ back _ . And now death had taken her too. Not in the same way as the other two, but it had taken her all the same. 

And Amalia was going to get her back.

She knew she couldn’t have gone to her parents with this- they were already angered with Leliana, and telling some barely believable story about her being kidnapped by a dead woman who thought they were married would not be doing her any favours. Without a doubt, her mother would see it as some desperate attempt to elongate the time limit for the Van Dort’s to find their daughter. She would probably call off the wedding right then and there.

And she couldn’t just leave to find help elsewhere either. If Amalia was caught leaving the manor at that ungodly hour of the morning, her parents would have questions she simply wouldn’t have believable answers for.

Which was how she had ended up here, desperately tearing apart any long length of fabric she could find in her room while Neria sat on her bed, her fingers red and sore from tying them all together into some semblance of a rope. 

Getting to where she needed to be would prove no problem, it was exiting the house without being caught that was difficult. Descending from her bedroom balcony on a handmade rope of blankets and curtains was risky, but what other options did she have?

When Neria finished tying the last of the makeshift rope together, she held it up in a silent question? Would it be long enough? It would have to be.

Without a passing word, the two threw open the doors of the balcony. Amalia tried to forget the image of that skeletal hand clutching the railing as she and Neria looped one end of their blanket-rope around it, securing it in place. Amalia grabbed the other end tightly, tried to swallow her fear as she oh so carefully stepped over the railing, trying to figure out the best way to propel herself downward.

The world seemed to sway when she looked down. But it was too late to turn back. With a deep breath and a reassuring nod from Neria who held the secured end of the rope tightly, Amalia threw herself back. 

Her body plunged through the air in free fall, and for a moment it felt as if all of the breath had been forced out of her lungs. The rough fabric of the makeshift rope burned her hands as she glided down it, kicking her feet out for any kind of hold as she plummeted through the air. As the ground grew closer, Amalia tightened her grasp on the rope, grimacing through the pain of her skin rubbing raw against the coarse fabric, the jolt of her shoulder pulling from the sudden brake on her rapid fall.

When she finally had the guts to open her eyes again, Neria was leaning over the railing, waving and shooting thumbs up at her. Amalia was at the end of her rope, still about a dozen feet to go to the ground, but she couldn’t exactly turn back at that point. As soon as her heart rate began to slow, she gently inched down the remainder of the rope. Dangling there, using her body to close the majority of the distance, Amalia still had several feet to drop. Closing her eyes, bracing herself, she let go. It was only afterwards, as pain shot up through her ankles, that she realized she probably shouldn’t have dropped directly onto her feet.

Grunting through the pain, she stood, taking a step before wincing. Her right ankle was definitely messed up, but she would simply have to limp. 

She shot off a wave to Neria and watched her nod and disappear, off to go cover for her if anyone asked for her.

It wasn’t a long trip to the church, not even to the other side of town. Limping on every other step, it took Amalia far longer than she would have liked. Any amount of weight on her right side was excruciating, but she couldn’t stop.

This wasn’t a matter that her parents could fix, even if they  _ did _ believe her. 

The dead, returning from the grave, kidnapping the living. This was something only a holy woman could understand.

And so, when Mother Giselle opened the church doors, looking still half asleep and slightly perturbed at her rude awakening by incessant knocking, Amalia couldn’t help releasing a half sigh, half manic giggle of relief.

“Child, it is long past time for you to be outside,” Mother Giselle said, confusedly looking Amalia up and down as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. She glanced around at the empty town outside the church doors. “Do your parents know you are here?”

“Please, Mother, I need your help,” Amalia said. Mother Giselle’s face held only confusion, but Amalia refused to back down. Not after everything. She needed to make her  _ listen _ . “You’re the only one here with authority on what happens beyond the grave, and my situation is desperate.”

“Dark thoughts for a young bride,” Mother Giselle said. She reached out a hand, placed it gently on Amalia’s shoulder. “But your world has been consumed by death, and grief can often be delayed. Come inside, let me see if I can help ease your mind.”

“I understand what you’re trying to do, Mother, but it’s not therapy I’m after, it answers.” Amalia felt her resolve harden. She had _ to succeed  _ here. “There must be  _ something _ in those holy texts you study,  _ something _ to tell us what to do when the dead are walking the earth.”

“I am… not sure I understand, child.” Mother Giselle said. Her voice became hesitant, like one would when attempting to calm a frightened child. “When we die, our souls are separated from our bodies, it is-”

“I’m not being  _ theoretical _ !” Amalia cried, “I  _ saw it _ ! A corpse, up and walking around, and she,” Amalia could feel her voice start to break, tension build behind her eyes, “she  _ stole _ Leliana! She thinks that they’re married and she took her and I don’t know  _ where _ and you’re the only person I could think of who could help and I.  _ Please _ help.” 

Mother Giselle said nothing for the longest time. Amalia tried to read her face but found only concern and confusion looking back at her. Finally, she closed her eyes, let out a soft sigh. She took Amalia by the hands.

“I cannot give you the answers you seek, but I know someone who can.” Amalia let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

“Really?” She asked.

Mother Giselle nodded. “Allow me a moment to awaken our driver, and I will take you there. But you must trust me.”

The ride to wherever Mother Giselle was taking her was shorter than Amalia had expected, which was appreciated. The curtains of the carriage were drawn, and Mother Giselle had refused to elaborate on who it was they were going to, but she had asked Amalia to trust her, and really, what other options did she have? 

The carriage came to a slow halt, and Mother Giselle rested a hand on Amalia’s arm. “Please do not be upset, child,” she said. The driver opened the carriage door, and Amalia’s heart sank to her feet as she recognized where they were. “I am only doing what is best for you.”

Amalia’s home stood towering above them. The carriage driver offered forward a hand to help her out, Mother Giselle behind her, gently nudging her. Amalia  _ could _ try to escape. She  _ could _ try to run away again, find someone else who could help. The only people around were the driver, still standing dutifully by his carriage, and Mother Giselle, who was only holding onto her with an unpainful but still unyielding grip on her shoulder. But who could she go to? The church had been her only option. Her mind wandered to her late brother’s fiancee- there had been hushed rumours going around that she and her mother were witches. But they lived far off in the woods, and there was no chance Amalia could get there on her injured foot before Mother Giselle alerted her parents and someone came to collect her.

So she let herself be led to the grand entrance of the manor, stared at the ground as Mother Giselle knocked. Refused to look as Neria opened the large double doors, Lady Everglot standing behind her. 

“Your child came to me,” Mother Giselle said, “speaking of troubling events regarding corpses and her missing fiance. I believe the grief of your family's situation is weighing heavily on her. If she is still feeling unwell by the morning, perhaps bring her around to the church. We may be able to help ease her through these troubling times.”

Amalia tried to ignore her mother’s strained voice as she sent Neria away, grabbed her arm to pull her inside, and apologized to Mother Giselle for the incident. She waited until Mother Giselle got back into her carriage, the squealing of the wooden wheels signalling her departure, before she finally let her polite smile drop, slamming shut the doors without letting go of her child.

“What are you playing at?” Her mother snapped. Her grip on Amalia’s arm had tightened. Amalia didn’t answer. “Escaping your room at this hour of the night? Not only did you hurt yourself, but you have also embarrassed us! As if we _needed_ any more embarrassment!”

“Leliana was taken…” Amalia tried, but deep down, she could feel it. There was no fight left in her words. She had failed. 

Her mother sighed, loosening her grip on her arm. She began leading her up the stairs, back to Amalia’s bedroom. “Just go back to bed, Amalia. You need to be well-rested for the wedding tomorrow.”

Amalia’s heart skipped a beat. Wedding tomorrow? That meant-

“You found her?”

Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Leliana? She is  _ gone _ . She ran away from us, and even if she were to come crawling back to our doorstep I would not give you to her.”

“Who am I marrying then, if not Leliana?”

“The widow, Lady Marjolaine.” They had stopped outside of her bedroom door. The makeshift rope still hung from the balcony. Her mother must have noticed the unpleasant look Amalia was giving her, and she sighed once more.

“I understand she is not who you were hoping for, but our family’s situation remains the same. Lady Marjolaine is wealthy, and she has shown nothing but kindness to this family.  _ She _ will not abandon us when we need her.” Her mother paused a moment brushing a thumb against Amalia’s cheek. “Remember our conversation yesterday, Amalia? Some things, you will simply have to live with.”

Amalia didn’t want to look at her mother as she locked the door behind her.

~~~

Leliana wasn’t sure  _ where _ she was. Her boots clicked against the cobblestone streets, empty aside from her. She wasn’t sure where the people were- surely corpses didn’t have to sleep? She was grateful for the silence though.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been since her fight with Joyce in the tower. Several hours, at least. She had spent that time wandering the empty streets, gazing up at the complete darkness overheard where stars should be. Thinking.

Was Amalia looking for her? Had she found help? Leliana supposed there was no way to know now. All she could do was wait.

She kicked a stray stone from the road, listened to it clack against the cobblestone as it skittered away. Sighed inwardly. What was wandering even doing for her? As far as she had seen, the only way to get back to the living was through magic, and Joyce’s parents had been her only gateway. She could hardly go crawling back to them, begging for them to send her back so she could abandon their daughter.

It was quick footfalls behind her that finally snapped Leliana out of her thoughts.

“Leliana! I’ve been looking for you.” Her heart sunk at the voice and she couldn’t help the twinge of annoyance. She  _ really _ didn’t want to see Joyce right now, and her friends certainly weren’t any better.

She turned to see Jaydin coming up the street behind her.

“Just you?” She asked jokingly, “I honestly believed you only came as a pair.”

He slowed in his walking, cocked his head to the side in confusion for a moment before lighting up with sudden understanding. “Oh! You mean Sof. She stayed with Joyce while I came to look for you.”

Leliana tried to resist rolling her eyes.  _ Of course, _ he was only here to bring her back to Joyce. “I won’t be going back to her,” Leliana said. It would be best to be straight with him, she was sure.

“ _ Please _ , Leliana,” He said, “We’re worried she may destabilize even further after this. That maybe she’ll be stuck for good.” He paused a moment, looking straight at her. His face showed only pleading. “We just want to help her.”

“It’s not my  _ problem _ to help her!” Leliana said, “I’m not sure if you’ve forgotten but she  _ is _ my kidnapper. And I would much rather spend my time looking for a way back home than soothing her.” She turned, ready to storm off. Leliana didn’t  _ want _ to hear him beg her to go back to Joyce.

“What if I had a way to get you back?”

She stopped, but didn’t turn back around.

“Why would you offer me that if you're trying to get me to go back to Joyce?” She asked.

She could hear his footsteps getting closer again, but still refused to face him. “A favour for a favour?” He said. “I’m not asking you to spend the rest of your time with Joyce. Just come back with me this once, help us get her past this. And then, if you do… maybe I can help you.”

Finally, she turned to him. “You don’t sound certain.” She said.

He looked down, picking at his nails. Nervous. “I’m… not. I was engaged before I died, too. And she’s a witch.” He let out a breathy laugh, although it sounded to come from a place of nerves rather than humour. “We knew I was dying. It… wasn’t sudden, by any means. But she said she would try to come to see me.” Finally, he looked up, met Leliana’s gaze. “It’s been two months now. I don’t know if she’s been unable to, or maybe she just moved on. But if she  _ does _ come… maybe she could take you back with her.”

Leliana took a moment, thought about it. The silence was heavy.

“That’s a lot of ‘maybe’s for me to put my faith in,” She finally said.

He shrugged. “Yeah, but what other options do you really have here?”

Leliana hated to admit he was right. She sighed. “I’m not going to apologize to Joyce.” He shook his head, a smile beginning to form.

“I wasn’t going to ask you to. Just talk to her. Any kind of closure to help her move past all this. Move past y _ou_.”

“What can I even say to her?” Leliana asked.

“Don’t know,” he replied, “but you’ve got a twenty-minute walk to figure it out.”

He ended up leading her to a small park, an abandoned old thing with sparse patches of grass and leaning fences. The only other people there were probably the last ones Leliana wanted to see, but if doing this would give her a way home… she had to. 

There was a public piano not far off, where Joyce sat. She slowly pressed at the keys one at a time, a forlorn tune making its way out of the rundown instrument. Sofia had draped herself over the back of it, facing Joyce while she cautiously and carefully trimmed the stems of those wilted flowers Joyce had brought back for her. The soft blue and white petals seemed almost familiar, but Leliana didn’t have much time to dwell on it.

Jaydin had asked her to just talk. “Provide closure”. “Help her move past this”. Leliana had had the whole walk here to think on what she could possibly say, but still could think of nothing.

Sofia looked up at their approach, but Joyce remained unmoving, unlistening. Pressing down on the keys, one after the other.

Leliana felt a nudge on her shoulder, where Jaydin had softly prodded her forward. But she couldn’t move. What could she say? Her feet felt frozen.  _ What could she say _ _?_ Sofia raised an eyebrow at them, Jaydin glancing down at her with a confused look. ‘ _ Why don’t you move. Say something to her _ ’ his eyes seemed to say. But Leliana couldn’t. What could she say? “ _ Hi, remember when I said I would never want to marry you? That’s still in effect but I really need you to get over me so I can go home and your friends can help you move on _ ’. No. 

Joyce was still playing, Sofia’s eyes widening in a ‘ _ move it along! _ ’ gesture. Leliana closed her eyes. Turned away.

She could hear Jaydin sigh, move away from his place at her side. She watched him walk up to his friends, place a gentle hand on Joyce’s shoulder. She didn’t seem to notice, still plugging away at the piano. Head down.

He leaned down, watching her fingers move across the keys, before mimicking the same notes on the upper keys. Joyce finally looked up, narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Kept playing. He just grinned and sat down on the bench beside her. Every time she played a part, he would copy, smiling at her, nudging her shoulders. Sofia watched from behind the piano. She leaned her body over the instrument to tuck one of the flowers behind Joyce’s ear.

It felt too intimate, Leliana realized. Her chest had tightened, watching the display of affection between friends. Of two people just trying to help someone they loved. She turned, ready to leave. She shouldn’t be watching this.

She took a few steps and felt her body involuntarily pause.  _ What had she just heard _ ?

The upper keys, they had stopped mimicking Joyce’s slow, despondent song and played something of their own. Something soft, and light, and lilting.

Something familiar.

And then Joyce copied, and  _ there _ . The lower keys, playing that song. The song Leliana had heard in the Everglot’s manor, after breaking away to go explore just the morning before.

The upper keys changed again, and suddenly it wasn’t a game of copy-cat anymore.

It was a duet.

And Leliana turned back, watched the three of them playing this song. Grinning at each other, bumping shoulders.

“ _ That song is actually meant to be a duet. My brother and I wrote it together _ ” Amalia had said. Leliana remembered the way she had been sitting on the piano bench back then, so far to the left it looked as if she would fall off, leaving enough space for another person to sit beside her. To play the other half of the duet.

_ “I was engaged before I died, _ ” Jaydin had told her.  _ “It’s been two months now _ ”. Two months he had been dead. Two months Amalia had been an only child, forced to be married off because her brother's engagement was cut short.

“ _ Sofia and Jaydin knew each other in life, _ ” Joyce had mentioned. First, the Everglot’s lose their son to illness. Not two weeks later, a close family friend passes in a street accident.

The blue flowers Joyce had brought from their graves. How familiar they had been. The same flowers that had decorated the hall at the wedding rehearsal.

“You’re Amalia’s brother!” Leliana cried out. The piano stopped abruptly. All three of them turned to look at her, and Leliana had to fight the urge to run from their scrutinizing gazes. Instead, she took a breath, steeled herself. “You’re Amalia Everglot’s brother who died two months ago,” she repeated. She turned her gaze to Sofia. “And you’re her childhood friend, who died only a few weeks after.”

The silence seemed deafening until finally, Sofia broke it.

“How do you know Amalia?” She asked.

“I’m… engaged to her,” Leliana replied.

Neither Sofia nor Jaydin moved, simply staring at Leliana. Their eyes showed a million thoughts, a thousand questions, none of them voiced. Joyce looked frantically back and forth, between them and Leliana, watching the exchange. Eventually, she stopped, dropped her head down.

“Does this… change things?” She asked, so quietly Leliana had to strain to hear her.

“I don’t… know,” Sofia replied. She dropped her head into her hands, clawing at her own hair. “I don’t  _ know _ .”

Jaydin said nothing, simply dropped his head onto Joyce’s shoulder beside him.

_ Did _ it change things? Leliana wasn’t sure. The realization certainly shifted perspective, but did it  _ change _ things?

Before they had much more time to ruminate on it, another voice broke through the silence suffocating the four of them.

“Hey! Everglot!” They turned to the voice, and Leliana recognized the bartender from the wedding reception waving them down. “Your witch is here!”

Jaydin’s head snapped up from its position on Joyce’s shoulder.

Leliana felt a swell of excitement.

Maybe it  _ did _ change things.

~~~

The witch in question was named Morrigan, it turned out. With her long raven hair tied back in an immaculate bun, her heavy burgundy gown without even a speck of dust, Leliana didn’t think she  _ looked _ much like a witch, but her yellow eyes and the poise with which she held herself were certainly  _ bewitching _ . Jaydin’s eyes had lit up when he had seen her. Leliana couldn’t blame him much.

Aside from her beauty, she was very much  _ alive _ . Her chest rose and fell with her breaths. Her cheeks grew rosy with blush when her fiance embraced her. Leliana almost wanted to cry. A living, breathing human, the first she had seen down here.

Most of the patrons were interested in the living woman, but it didn’t take long for the majority of them to take the hint- be it from her short quips to outright ignoring those she didn’t wish to speak to- that the small group was best left alone. When Morrigan had seen Leliana, she had looked her up and down questioningly but said nothing. Eventually, after the obligatory welcomings, the five of them ended up at a table near the back of the bar, far enough away from the band that they could easily hear each other speak.

“So, it took you long enough,” Jaydin said. He hadn’t left Morrigan's side since the group had arrived at the bar. “Was your mother hovering?”

“When is she not?” Morrigan replied. “Truly, I did not believe I would be getting away for quite some time still. However, I recently stumbled upon some news about your dear sibling that I thought may be of interest to you.”

“She’s engaged?” He said, looking over at Leliana. Joyce grimaced beside her. “Yes, we just put that one together ourselves.”

“Oh, more than engaged,” Morrigan said. She lifted her glass to her lips, scowling slightly at the taste before setting it back down. “She is to be wed today, at noon.”

Leliana leaned across the table toward her. “Wait, the wedding is still on?” She asked. “I was told it was to be called off if I wasn’t found by dawn.”

Morrigan looked at her, and Leliana tried not to shrink under that piercing gaze. She hummed, taking another sip before answering. “Oh, they have long since given up on you. She is marrying some other woman from out of town. ‘Tis rather quick if you ask me, but we all have duties we must perform.” She studied her empty glass for a moment before adding, “And I suppose they did not wish to waste the cake.”

The others kept talking, but Leliana wasn’t hearing them anymore. In just a few hours, Amalia was getting married. Leliana tried to keep her emotions off of her face as she stared down at the table, but it was difficult. Her chance of escaping this place had come, only to tell her that her  _ reason _ for escaping was no longer relevant.

Wasn’t that all it was? Marry Amalia, use your money to save her family. What now, if she no longer needed saving? She could still go back. Beg Morrigan to help her escape. But then, what would she be escaping back  _ to _ _?_ A life of disgrace, most likely. Everyone would know of her running away by now. It was doubtful her parents would ever be able to find her match again. She could always join the church, as so many other women did. But could she _really_ , knowing what she did now about death? About the afterlife?

No. She couldn’t return to normal life after this.

She looked over at Joyce beside her. She felt no love for the woman. But she remembered when she first came here, the story Sofia and Jaydin had told her.

Leliana couldn’t help Amalia anymore.

But maybe she could still help Joyce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The piano duet scene was actually what started this whole au. I have like, a whole animation planned out in my head for that scene (if I knew how to animate, oof)
> 
> Anyways, chapter 6 out tomorrow! We're winding down the finale!!


	6. Victoria's Wedding/The Wedding Song

Watery light filtered in through the church windows, barely permeating the thick blanket of clouds in the sky overhead.

The crowd was small, less than half of the pews filled with a handful of family and friends. There were no smiles. No cheers or well wishes as Amalia stood at the altar, her nicest suit hugging her body, an older woman she barely knew beside her. Reciting memorized words. Taking her hand, slipping a golden band around her finger. 

Scattered applause after the “I do’s”.

Amalia’s face was a statue, refusing to let any emotion though as she was led down the aisle.

Arm in arm with her new wife, Lady Marjolaine Everglot.

~~~

Leliana had tried to engage herself with the group again after the news. She tried to be reasonable, to remind her aching heart that Amalia and her family were safe now, and that’s all that mattered. She laughed along with the stories Sofia and Jaydin told about getting into trouble together as teens. Nodded along in sympathy when Morrigan complained about her mother. 

When Morrigan stood to get more drinks from the bar, Leliana took it as a chance to lean over to Joyce beside her, asking if she could talk to her alone for a moment. Joyce seemed hesitant, but with supportive nods from her friends, she tentatively followed her outside.

They stopped just outside the bar, in the alley out back. It wasn’t a pretty location- there were a few dumpsters, and someone was vomiting at the other end of the alley- but she wasn’t planning on being here long.

“I’m not going to apologize for getting angry,” Leliana started. Joyce’s face didn’t change, so she continued. “I deserved to be angry. You  _ did _ steal me away from my family, my whole life up there.” Joyce opened her mouth to say something, but Leliana held up a hand before she could get the words out. “ _ But _ ,” She continued, “what I said was cruel. You’re not unlovable. And I was wrong when I said that no one would want to marry you.”

Joyce simply stared at the ground. “Are you only saying this now because your other fiance is marrying someone else?”

“In all honesty… yes,” Leliana said. “I needed to get back to her because our marriage was going to save her family. But she doesn’t need me anymore.” She paused a moment, considering, before reaching out and taking Joyce’s hand in her own. “I think  _ you _ do.”

“Will you stay?” Joyce asked.

Leliana thought for a moment. It was almost funny, how quickly things changed. How one passing comment from Morrigan had completely flipped Leliana’s world. She nodded.

“Yes.”

After that, Leliana found herself actually enjoying hanging out at the bar with the others. When she and Joyce returned, Morrigan had set out more drinks for everyone, and she, Sofia and Jaydin were nearly in tears laughing at something someone had said. The twinge of _fondness_ Leliana felt at the scene was unexpected, but when Sofia caught her eye and excitedly waved her and Joyce back over, Leliana wasn’t sure she could describe what she found herself feeling towards these people any other way.

When she and Joyce sat back down, things felt different. Leliana didn’t hesitate to tell stories of her own. When Joyce touched her, she didn’t flinch away.

At one point, when Joyce was mid-way through a story about a time when she was a child and stole one of Revka’s prepared animal skins to wear around as a hat, Jaydin caught Leliana’s eye. He glanced over to Morrigan beside him, then back to Leliana, eyebrow raised in a silent question.  _ Do you still want her to take you back home? _

Leliana found herself shaking her head. It was delightfully strange, she thought, how letting go of the future gave her such clarity. What did she have to be afraid of anymore? She had already determined that continuing a life back home was impossible. Neria has said that she assumed Leliana had frozen to death in the woods. Maybe that’s what everyone else would think too. They would all just assume she had died out there, and Amalia would marry this wealthy suitor of hers and the Everglots would be fine. Leliana’s parents would mourn, but they would eventually move on. And Leliana would be here, with the dead people at this table.

The night wore on, and glasses emptied just to be replaced with new ones. Voices grew hoarse with laughter. The music swelled and Joyce grinned, grabbing Leliana by the hands and dragging her to the dance floor while the others cheered. 

Leliana was drunk, and overtired, and having more fun than she had ever remembered herself having before.

It was Morrigan who eventually took pity on her, noticing her drooping eyes and lolling head, and asked when the last time she had slept was.

The party eventually found a couch in a quieter corner of the bar- the same one she had originally woken up in- and dragged Leliana’s half-asleep body over to it. Her eyes closed as soon as she laid down, only conscious enough to feel the faint whisper of a skeletal hand brush her cheek, and voice softly say “Sleep well, love.”

For the first time since she had woken up the morning of her wedding rehearsal, Leliana felt peaceful.

~~~

When Leliana woke, the bar was empty. She sat up and blearily rubbed at her eyes, tried to ignore what she could already tell was going to be a rough headache coming on. The place seemed alien without the jazzy music drifting through the air, competing with dozens of intermingling voices, the business of bodies filling every booth and table and corner of the dance floor. Now it was just her and the bartender, wiping down tables and glasses and whistling an upbeat tune to make up for the loss of the band.

He looked up at her when Leliana started moving and whistled her over. She tried to ignore the throbbing in her head and the way that the world seemed to sway when she rose, methodically placing one foot in front of the other and watching them to make sure she didn’t trip. She could hear him laugh at her as she got closer.

“Your friends said to tell you that they’re at the tower,” He said. Leliana threw herself onto the bar and groaned. That was  _ so far _ . 

The bartender laughed again before reaching over and placing a full glass of water by her head. Leliana hadn’t realized just how dry her tongue felt, and tipped the glass in its entirety into her mouth without even a gasp for air in the middle. She slammed the glass back down on the counter and gave the bartender a  _ look _ , to which he only grinned as he refilled it.

“Do corpses get hangovers?” She asked after finishing off the second glass as well. 

“Nope,” he replied, “Just you.”

“ _ Fantastic _ ,” Leliana mumbled. 

Her trip to Quentin and Revka’s tower was rough on her wobbly legs, and with the streets crowded- quite unlike the dead silence that had coated them the previous night- Leliana found herself lost and asking for directions three separate times.

When she finally made her way up the hill to the base of the tower, she felt like she was going to throw up. She leaned against the stone brick walls, clutching at her stomach until it settled.  _ ‘Why did I have to drink so much last night?’ _ she couldn’t help wondering. It had seemed as if every time her cup had emptied it would magically get refilled or replaced, and, well. Maybe coming to the realization that your life could never go back to the way it was was something one needed a few drinks to get through. She only prayed that the others weren’t waiting for her up on the fifth floor again.

Thankfully Leliana’s prayers were answered when she only had to climb two sets of stairs before hearing voices. She should have just walked in, she  _ knew _ that listening in on conversations wasn’t a great way to start this new relationship she was stuck in with Joyce but. Well, she heard her own name, and couldn’t help herself. She opened the door just a crack,  _ just _ enough for the voices of Joyce and Revka to filter through.

“Something changed in Leliana last night, mom,” Joyce said. Through the crack in the door, Leliana could see her sitting at one end of a table while Revka sat beside her, carefully brushing out the fur of what seemed to be a stuffed squirrel. “She seems different.”

“Good different?” Revka asked. She combed over the top of the squirrel’s head, with the care and consideration a mother would give her own child. 

“Good, I think,” Joyce said. She reached over and pressed the tip of her finger gently against the squirrel’s nose. “She said she’s going to stay here.”

Revka opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by the rapid sounds of footsteps and several bodies crashing through the door from the fourth floor. Quentin stumbled through the door, Sofia and Jaydin closely in tow.

“Joyce, dear, we need to talk.”

Sofia was carrying a massive tome in her arms, which she dropped down onto a clear space on the table with a heavy  _ thud _ . “We’ve found a problem with your marriage,” She said, rapidly flipping through pages.

“A problem with my marriage?” Joyce asked. Sofia finally stopped flipping, but Leliana couldn’t see the contents of the page from her current position outside the door.

“You know why Morrigan and I never actually married?” Jaydin said. Joyce looked up at him, a subtle confusion evident on her face.

“Because you died.”

Jaydin nodded. “Exactly. And we couldn’t marry now, even if we wanted to, because the vows of the living… they’re only valid until ‘death does you part.’ ”

Joyce shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

Quentin gave his daughter a pitying smile, took her hands in his own. “Your marriage to Leliana is null. Death has already parted you.”

Joyce’s face fell. Leliana’s heartbeat quickened.  _ The marriage was invalid? _

“No,” Joyce said, “ _ No, _ she  _ just _ decided to stay here with me!” She stood, frantically pushing herself back, away from the bearers of the news. Revka stood too, her squirrel abandoned, and reached out to her daughter. “There  _ must _ be something that can be done! What if she finds out and tries to leave again!”

“There is something,” Sofia said, gesturing down to the page again, “But it’s not something  _ we _ can do. She has to do it herself…”

“Well, what is it?” Joyce asked. Her voice was beginning to sound frantic, cracking over certain words.

Sofia just grimaced. “She has to die,” she said.

Leliana felt her breath hitch. Her heart beat so quickly she was certain it would burst right out of her chest.

“You and Leliana would have to return to the land of the living, where she would have to repeat her vows to you and give up her life.” Quentin continued. “Only when her heart has stopped beating can she freely give it to you.”

Leliana suddenly felt cold.  _ Should I run _ ? But what would be the point? She would eventually just end up back here. She felt frozen.

Joyce fell to the ground, pulled at her own hair. Her body convulsed there, and Leliana wanted to look away, but  _ couldn’t _ . Is this what it was then, being “stuck”? Having her unfinished business so close within her grasp, and being at war with the consequences of it?

Finally, her hands dropped, and her body lay still. “I could never ask her,” she said. Her voice sounded hollow.

Leliana hadn’t even realized she had entered the room until everyone’s eyes were on her. “You don’t need to ask me,” she found herself saying. “I’ll do it.”

Revka placed a hand on her shoulder. “Love, this isn’t something that can be reversed. If you agree with this, you can  _ never _ go back.”

“I know,” Leliana said, “and I hadn’t even known that I felt this way until now. But I can’t go back to my old life, and I’m going to die and end up down here anyways. So I think I’m ready.” She turned to Joyce, still sitting on the floor, staring up at her. “I’m not scared anymore.”

Leliana reached out a hand to her. “Joyce,” she said, “will you re-marry me?”

Joyce stared at her hand for a while, before looking up with a smile. She took it in her own. 

“I will,” she said.

~~~

The land of the dead felt different, with a buzz in the air. Everyone was whispering to each other about the “wedding upstairs”, all picking out their best clothes for the occasion. 

Joyce had immediately pulled Sofia to her side, claiming Maid of Honour, and the two had rushed out to begin preparations. Jaydin had simply stood there at a loss until Leliana had mentioned that the party still needed a Best Man. He had dragged her from the tower nearly as excitedly as Joyce and Sofia had left.

After having her coat fixed, her hair redone, and her bandages removed, they had ended up back at the bar, where Leliana had been bombarded with people she vaguely recognized from the original reception only the night before congratulating her once more, expressing their excitement at seeing the world above ground again.

Everyone was chatting eagerly or running around in preparation, and Leliana couldn’t remember the last time her life had felt this hectic and  _ exciting _ . The last time she had been prepared to be married, it had been all solemn faces and apologies. This time, there was not a single frown to be found.

The excited chatter turned to whispers when Joyce arrived.

Her dress had been thoroughly cleaned and tailored, her veil free of dirt and debris. Leliana involuntarily felt her heart hitch. Joyce wasn’t the abomination who had chased her through the woods anymore. 

She was a bride.

Leliana felt no fear as she walked arm in arm with Joyce back to the tower, where Quentin and Revka had been preparing enough spells to send the entire wedding party back up to the world of the living. It was strange, she thought, feeling Joyce’s arm curl around hers just a little tighter, just  _ how _ unafraid she was. By all means, Leliana was being led to her death. Quentin and Revka had stated before she left that they would prepare a poison for her- something immediate and painless. And yet, as Leliana watched Joyce’s grin as they walked together through the meadow with the wedding party in tow, she felt only a sense of calm.

It was the idea of the unknown that made death frightening. But there were no unknowns anymore. Leliana knew when she was going to die- in a few hours, at her own wedding ceremony. She knew what would happen to her when she did- they would all return down here and have an amazing reception, and Leliana would spend the rest of her days with these people. Eventually, her family would join her too.

And so, as Leliana was led toward her certain death, all she could think to do was smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but this one is mostly just lead up to the finale anyways!  
> Thanks for following along, and happy Halloween-eve!!


	7. The Party Arrives/Victor's Wedding/Barkis's Bummer/Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally here! Last chapter baby!!!  
> Honestly, I can't believe I actually finished it in time lol
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy the finale!

Amalia stared straight ahead, hands folded in her lap. Marjolaine sat by her side, and all around the grand dining room table sat the rest of the family and other members of the wedding party. The feast was excellent, or so Amalia assumed. She had taken a few bites of the food, but it had all tasted bland and grey and she had struggled to keep it down, so she resigned herself to simply sit, staring forward and waiting for it to be over.

When it came time for the cake, Amalia felt no joy as the beautifully decorated thing was placed in front of her. When Neria came to her side to take away her un-eaten dinner and replace it with the slice of extravagant dessert, her hand slipped down to Amalia’s and gave it a squeeze.  _ Right _ .  _ “I promise I’ll be by your side through it all _ ” she had said just yesterday morning, but now those reassuring words from her friends seemed so distant.

Marjolaine stood from her seat, presumably to give a short speech, but Amalia wasn’t listening. There she sat, beside the woman who was her new wife, and all she could think of was  _ is Leliana okay?  _ She hadn’t been able to save her. What was that corpse doing with her? Had she killed her? Or was Leliana still alive, trapped with that monster?

A light scattering of applause signalled to Amalia that Marjolaine must have finished her speech. She probably should have been paying attention. It was easier not to, though. To let her mind fog over and hear only the static of  _ nothingness _ instead of the chatter of the party guests.

A loud, rhythmic thumping made its way through Amalia’s brain fog, and she vaguely registered Neria leaving the room to see who was at the door.  _ A late partygoer, probably _ . She let the fog take over again, prepared to just let herself drift off into semi-consciousness, when Neria’s shrill scream shot through the air like a bullet.

Amalia was on her feet and running before her brain had even processed the action, vaguely aware of some of the other’s following her, but she was too focused on her task now to bother looking behind to see who it was.

She turned the corner to the grand entrance, and felt her feet skid to a stop. 

Neria was there, crouched in on herself by the open double doors, hands covering her head and sobbing. All around her, walking corpses filed into the house. About a half dozen, some in such states of decay they were mostly bones. 

Behind her, Lady Everglot shrieked.

Amalia didn’t care about the dead. She rushed forward, reaching out to Neria- 

And was roughly yanked back by her coat. 

Amalia didn’t have  _ time _ to see what was pulling her back, she had to get to her friend! But whatever it was was stronger than her, and she found herself being dragged back into a coat closet, chest-to-chest with Marjolaine. She no longer had the prim and confident air she had been exuding before- her hair was ruffled and her eyes wild, chest heaving with heavy breaths.

“We have to get out of here,” Marjolaine said, holding Amalia by her upper arms, her fingers digging into her skin. She was staring wildly at the closet door as if she were expecting a walking skeleton to burst through at any moment. “Where is your parents' vault, we need to grab all of the money we can and run for it.”

Amalia simply stared ahead. “What money?” She asked.

Marjolaine whipped her head back around to her. “ _ ‘What money’? _ Your  _ dowry _ ! Your parents' money!  _ That _ money!”

Amalia raised an eyebrow. “Our family  _ has _ no money,” She said, “My marriage to  _ you _ is what’s saving us from complete bankruptcy.”

“Do  _ not _ play these games with me,” Marjolaine said. Her eyes had gone hard. “Now is not the time to be looking out for your parents, now is the time to look out for ourselves! I  _ know _ your family has money!”

Amalia ripped herself away. “We  _ don’t _ . But at least we are perfectly matched now. You’re just as disappointed in this marriage as  _ I _ am.”

She left Marjolaine in the closet. She didn’t really much care what happened to the woman at the moment- not when someone she actually  _ did _ care about needed her. 

Back at the main entrance, Neria was still where Amalia had last seen her, but the manor seemed to be empty of corpses now. As well as decorations. All of the flowers and ribbons had been ripped away, and her family was nowhere to be found. Cowering in some other rooms, probably.

Neria was still curled in on herself, but her crying wasn’t as loud anymore. Just silent tears that rolled down her round cheeks, eyes pinched shut as she squeezed her hands against her head. Amalia knelt down next to her and tried to pull her hands away and gently as possible, speaking soft words of encouragement.

When Neria’s eyes opened, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Amalia and openly sobbing into her chest. So Amalia held her. Thought back to when they were positioned like this just the morning before.  _ Oh how long ago that all seems… _

Finally, she broke the silence. “Neria?” She prompted. The girl said nothing, but her sobbing slowed, so Amalia took it as a sign to continue. “Will you come into town with me?”

Neria looked up, inelegantly rubbing the snot and tears from her face. “Why?” She asked.

Amalia stood, leaving a hand for Neria to take.

“We’re going to find Leliana.”

Amalia wasn’t sure what she expected when she and Neria made their way down the long drive and into town. People screaming, perhaps. Dead bodies running around, terrorizing civilians. Maybe kidnapping them as that one had done to Leliana.

What she  _ didn’t _ expect was to see people… smiling. Decomposing bodies walking arm in arm with living people, kissing them on the cheek,  _ laughing together _ . As Amalia and Neria walked through the street, they looked on in awe at a corpse throwing a laughing child up into the air and catching her, spinning around while the girl's mother sobbed with a smile.

And that’s when it hit her. 

They weren’t just bodies to these people. They were loved ones. They were husbands and mothers and siblings and lovers and children. They were family, and they were friends. And Amalia felt her heart clench, and Neria’s fingers lacing through her own showed that her friend was thinking the same thing. They continued through town, hand in hand, hoping but not daring to speak it out loud.

When they made it to the centre of the town square, the silent question between the two was answered with a voice. A familiar voice, that they used to hear often calling them downstairs, or whispering late at night, forming some mischievous plan to annoy a visiting relative.

“You can bring your loved ones if you want,” he yelled out, and Amalia was running towards the voice, blinking tears from her eyes, “but there  _ is _ a wedding happening here so let’s all hurry it up!”

Neria was beside her, sprinting to catch up, to find the source of the voice, and when they turned a corner and found themselves at the massive central clock in the town square, Amalia let out a sob at the two figures standing at its base.

“The church is just up that hill to the north!” Sofia called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. “The ceremony will be starting soon!”

Amalia wanted to fall to her knees. She wanted to lay on the ground and cry at the thousands of emotions running through her at the sight of their faces, the sound of their voices. Amalia found herself frozen.

“Hey!” Neria yelled out.

Sofia and Jaydin turned to the noise and froze. Looked at each other. Broke out into massive grins and  _ ran _ .

Amalia hadn’t even processed what was happening until their arms were around her, and she was crying and she could feel that they were too. It was  _ them _ . But not. They were different. The hug was  _ cold _ . Their skin was greying and their eyes were sunken, but they were certainly in better shape than many of the others. Still all in one piece, at the very least.

For a while, none of them said anything, just stood there, holding each other and sobbing. Sofia eventually broke the silence, grabbing Amalia’s face and brushing her cheek with her cold thumb. “We didn’t think you would be here,” she said. “We heard you were getting married today. Thought you’d be away on your honeymoon by now.”

Amalia let out a choked laugh. “We may have been interrupted by a group of corpses running into the house and stealing all of our decorations.”

Jaydin’s head popped up and he furrowed his brow. “They  _ stole _ them?” He sighed. “Honestly, when I told those guys to get decorations I meant like. Pick some wildflowers. Not  _ break into someone’s house and just take  _ theirs .”

When Amalia started laughing, she couldn’t seem to stop. It must have sounded maniacal- it certainly  _ felt _ like it. But  _ fuck _ . They were  _ here _ . For two months she had mourned the two people she loved most, and now they were  _ here _ , and complaining about some walking skeletons  _ not taking orders correctly _ . What could she do, besides laugh and cry and hiccup and choke on it all while they held her?

“Leliana,” Neria whispered, and the laughter stopped.  _ Right _ . She was still out there. But Amalia had these two now, her brother and her best friend, and maybe they could help her.  _ If anyone knew where Leliana was… _

“We’re looking for a girl,” Amalia said, after taking in several deep breaths to calm herself. “My fiance. Short red hair, blue eyes. She was taken by a dead woman last night, and…” Her explanation petered out when she noticed the faces that Sofia and Jaydin were making at each other. Teeth clenched together, eyebrows tense, cringing ever so slightly.

“Yeah. We… know her,” Sofia said. “We’re actually heading to her wedding ceremony right now. It’s… a long story.”

“Her  _ wedding _ ?” Neria asked, baffled. Amalia couldn’t help but feel the same. Leliana should be struggling to  _ escape _ right now, not… getting married?

“Yeah,” Sofia continued. “When we heard that Amalia was getting married to someone else… I guess Leliana decided she wasn’t needed to save your family anymore. And she knew she couldn’t live a normal life again, after everything that’s happened to her. So she decided to stay. With us.”

“She’s marrying Joyce,” Jaydin added on. “She decided that if she can’t help you, she can help  _ her _ .”

“We have to get to the ceremony,” Sofia cut in. “We’re kind of in the wedding party. But, you two can come. If you want.”

Neria looked up at Amalia, eyebrows raised.  _ It’s up to you,  _ she seemed to say _. _

~~~

Joyce tried her hardest to keep her excitement contained as she stood at the altar. Maybe her Maid of Honour and Best Man had been late, but they were  _ here now _ and the church was filled with gorgeous blue and white flowers and she was  _ getting married _ , her father on the other side of the altar reading those binding words, and Joyce’s nerves were buzzing so loudly in her head she could barely hear him.

Then Leliana began speaking. “With this hand, “ she said, and if Joyce had a heart she swore it would have skipped a beat. “I will lift your sorrows.” Leliana picked up the wine bottle set beside her at the altar, pouring it gently into the chalice in Joyce’s hands. “Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.”

Joyce raised the chalice to her lips and took a sip, tried to stop her hands from shaking. Quentin smiled and turned to his daughter. “Your turn,” he said.

Joyce closed her eyes and counted to three. “With this hand,” she began, “I will lift your sorrows.” She reached to her side, plucking up the small vial her mother had placed there before the ceremony. ‘ _ It will be painless _ ’ she had assured her,  _ ‘and so quick she won’t even notice it happening _ ’. When Joyce poured it into Leliana’s cup, the liquid was clear. Full of death.

“Your cup will never empty,” she continued, “for I will be-” Joyce felt her voice falter. It had been the slightest of movement that had caught her attention. The doors to the church opening ever so slightly, someone creeping in. It wouldn’t have been noticeable if not up at the altar as Joyce was. But she saw her. She didn’t know the one girl- the brunette with her hair tied up and away from her face. But the other… the other person she had seen before, albeit briefly. Seen her with her arms wrapped around Leliana, reaching out to her as Joyce had pulled her away.

“For I will be…” Joyce tried again, but her eyes felt boring, staring holes into Joyce as she tried to speak. Sofia’s childhood friend. Jaydin’s sibling. Leliana’s fiance. Standing at the back of the church, not moving or speaking. Just watching. Joyce couldn’t discern what it was that was in her eyes. Defeat? Bitterness? Anger? Fear? Perhaps it was all of them, and more.

Joyce tried to clear her throat, clear her  _ head _ . ‘ _ Just say the words _ ’, she thought.  _ ‘Say the words and it will be over and she’ll be  _ yours _ ’. _

“Your cup will never empty,” Joyce said. She could hear her own voice wavering. Why?  _ Why _ couldn’t she do this? “For I will be…”

“For I will be your wine.” Leliana finished for her.

She raised the chalice to her lips. Joyce didn’t know what came over her, but her hand was suddenly on the cup, pushing it back down.

She barely recognized her own voice when she spoke. “I  _ can’t _ .”

Leliana creased her brows and reached out to place a hand on Joyce’s arm. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

Joyce gestured between them, and her voice cracked as she answered. “ _ This _ is wrong!  _ Us _ !” She looked over to the back of the church, where Amalia still stood, clutching onto the girl beside her with her eyes wide and mouth agape, and Leliana followed her gaze. Joyce saw her expression drop as they made eye contact.

“Years ago… I had my happy ending stolen from me…” Joyce’s throat felt tight, and she belatedly realized that she was crying. “And now here I am. Stealing away someone else’s.”

The entire church’s eyes were on Amalia then, and Joyce turned to her as well. Lifted her skeletal hand in invitation. Amalia seemed hesitant, but eventually walked forward, down the aisle, and took Joyce’s hand in her own.

“I love you Leliana,” she said. She took Leliana’s hand as well, bringing hers and Amalia’s together. They looked at each other, hesitant smiles lighting their features, and Joyce tried not to let her heart break. “But you were never meant to be mine.”

Eventually, Leliana turned back to her. “Joyce, I-”

A slow clap cut her off, and everyone turned to the source of the noise. An older woman clothed in an expensive gown made her way down the aisle.

“What a touching scene!” She said. Eyes followed her as she strode toward the altar. “We all love a happy ending!” She continued until she was only a foot away from the wedding party. “One slight problem, though. She’s still  _ my _ spouse, and  _ I _ will get what I am due!”

The woman grabbed Amalia, and that was when it clicked. Her brown eyes and dark hair. That alluring smile.

Joyce knew this woman.

“Marjolaine?” She said. It was barely more than a whisper.

Marjolaine finally seemed to notice her there. She looked her up and down briefly before her eyes widened in recognition. “Joyce?”

Joyce felt her brows lower. “ _ You _ .” It was all coming back. All of the anger. The betrayal. All directed at this one woman.

“How… How are you here?” Marjolaine didn’t sound nearly as confident anymore, her voice wavered in every word. “I… left you.”

Joyce felt something inside of her snap. Something that had been stuck inside, lingering, holding her back, breaking open like flood gates.

“For dead!”

The crowd broke into chaos. Voice rose all around, bodies began to slam into one another. Joyce felt Sofia push her way in between herself and Marjolaine, vaguely noticed Jaydin on the other end of the altar doing the same with Leliana and Amalia.

Marjolaine paled and tried desperately to pull Amalia back with her by the arm. Everyone at the altar reached for her.

“ _ Stop! _ ”

In an instant, the room froze at Quentin’s voice. “As  _ much _ as I of all people would love to watch you all rip this woman apart… we are in the land of the living. We must abide by their rules.” He fixed Marjolaine with a glare, spoke as if the words were physically harming him. “We cannot hurt her.”

Marjolaine’s mask of fear slowly melted into a grin as everyone’s arms lowered. She took a few breaths to regain her composure, used her free hand to straighten her gown, the other still clutching to Amalia.

“There now,” she said, “civility isn’t quite so difficult. And seeing as you are all bound to do me no harm, I don’t see why I can’t just take my new spouse and be on my way.” She gave Amalia’s arm a tug, but she stood fast.

“ _ No _ !” Amalia said, pulling back. Marjolaine glared.

“You’re  _ mine _ , in case you’ve forgotten. Even if your parents have no money, I’m sure I can get  _ something _ out of you.” Marjolaine reached under her dress, and no one had any time to act before she had pressed a small dagger to Amalia’s throat. “And if  _ not _ ,” she continued. Amalia closed her eyes as the steel pressed harder into her. “We will simply have to dispose of you, won’t we?”

When she pulled this time, Amalia followed, carefully steady, constantly aware of the knife pressed against her skin.

“Sorry to cut this short everyone,” Marjolaine called out, “but we really  _ must _ be on our way! We had such a  _ lovely _ honeymoon planned out, after all!”

“ _ Please _ !” Sofia called out, stumbling forward. She fell to the ground and Jaydin rushed after her, holding her body tightly against his own. He pressed his face against her shoulder, and Joyce noticed the tears rolling down both of their cheeks. “ _ Please… _ ” Sofia tried again. “Let her go… There’s nothing you can gain from her family… just let her go…”

Jaydin lifted his head from Sofia’s shoulder. “We can’t harm you, only plead,” He said. “But she has so much more life to live! You can just leave! No one here will alert any authorities. Just  _ let her go and leave _ .”

Marjolaine looked at the two on the floor, at Amalia still tucked tightly in her grip. She smiled. “You’re right,” she said. “You  _ can’t _ harm me.”

“I can.”

With a sudden  _ crack _ , Marjolaine fell forward. The brunette girl who had entered with Amalia stood behind her with a massive metal candelabra raised above her head.

“ _ You little bitch!” _ Marjolaine screamed, whipping around with one hand clutching the back of her head, a steady stream of blood seeping through her fingers. Leliana dove forward, grabbing at the woman before she could get to the girl, pulling her backward.

“ _ Neria get the knife!” _ She yelled. 

Neria ran, but Marjolaine reached out, pulling out her feet from under her. She toppled to the ground with a heavy  _ thud _ , her skull bouncing off the hard floor before she lay still.

“NERIA!” Amalia crawled to her friend, rolled her over, pressed an ear to her chest.

Leliana released Marjolaine from her grip, desperately crawling back toward the knife on the ground as the older woman scrambled back up. Leliana reached forward,  _ so close _ , her fingertips brushing the steel, when she was suddenly pulled back, flipped over.

With a sickening  _ crunch _ , Marjolaine’s fist met her nose, and a sudden gush of blood coated her knuckles. Leliana’s head lolled back, dazed, and Marjolaine let out a breath. She rose on swaying feet, a steady stream of blood still coating the back of her head.

Amalia scrambled backwards as she came closer, still clutching Neria’s unconscious body in her arms, but Marjolaine wasn’t headed to them.

“Are we done here?” She said. Her eyes were wide and her voice sounded high pitched and manic, her chest heaving with each breath. She looked around the room. Blood coated the carpet of the aisle, and Sofia and Jaydin had run out of the way and toward Amalia and Neria, holding them both close.

Marjolaine looked at Joyce, still up at the altar, and smiled. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ve caught your message. I will leave.” She continued forward. Joyce watched her with an icy stare at every step. “But why not a toast first, at least?”

She snatched a chalice from the altar and raised it above her head. “To Joyce! Sorry about your luck, there, my dear. Will anyone  _ ever _ truly love you?” She glanced over to Leliana, still laying on the floor of the aisle. She grinned. “I suppose not.”

Marjolaine lifted the chalice to her lips and drank down the clear liquid inside. She dropped the chalice to the ground, threw a wink to Joyce, and took a step down from the altar. Swayed. Her eyes grew wide as she righted herself, desperately grasped at her chest. Marjolaine crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

Fell.

Her eyes stayed open, glazed over. Her chest stopped moving.

Dead.

With a heavy  _ thud _ , Quentin shut the tome he had open over the altar. “Everyone, Revka and I will be sending you all back downstairs now.” He glanced down at Marjolaine’s body, crumpled and still on the church floor. “We have a new arrival to greet, after all.”

As everyone filed out of the church, Quentin stopped in front of Joyce, gently caressing her face in his hand. He glanced over to where the others still sat together on the aisle floor. Leliana had crawled over to Amalia, who was attempting to stop the bleeding from her nose. “Will you be alright, love?” He asked.

Joyce nodded. “Yes.”

With one last smile, he followed the rest of the crowd out.

Joyce carefully stepped over Marjolaine’s body and crouched down by the others. Neria had come to again, and Amalia was holding her face pressed to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“You  _ saved me _ ,” Amalia said to her.

Neria smiled into her chest. “I’ve got your back, don’t I?”

Amalia laughed through the tears. “You do. You’re also concussed, so don’t try to stand. We’ll get you to a doctor, okay?” She helped prop her friend up beside her, sitting with her back against one of the pews.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you,” Jaydin said. He was sitting up on his knees next to Sofia, tears rolling down his cheeks too. “I should have been able to. I’m your  _ brother _ . That’s supposed to be my job.”

Amalia reached up and brushed a tear away with her thumb. “You don’t need to anymore,” She said. She took a deep breath, giving him a smile tinged with sadness. “I think I’m okay now.” She turned to Sofia. “And Sof…” She said. “I’m just so happy I get to see you again.”

Joyce cleared her throat as she got close to the group. “I’m sorry,” She said. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but…” With a deep sigh, she pulled the ring off of her finger and held it out to Amalia. “I think this belongs to you.”

Leliana looked up at her, her eyes damp and reddened, her lower face sticky and wet with blood. “Joyce…” she began. Joyce held up a hand.

“Don’t say anything,” Joyce said.

Leliana shook her head. “I made you a promise.”

“And you kept it,” Joyce said. She cupped Leliana’s chin in her hand, tilting her head up to meet her eyes. She smiled. “You  _ set me free _ .” She leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. “And now I’ll do the same for you,” she whispered against her skin.

Joyce stood, looking down to where Sofia and Jaydin still sat. “Are you two ready to go?” She asked. With a nod, Sofia rose, Jaydin following suit.

“Wait!” Amalia cried, grabbing at his pant leg, as if afraid to let them go. “Will I get to see you again?”

Sofia nodded and bent down to cup Amalia’s cheek. “Yes. But don’t rush it.” She looked over at Leliana, then back at her. “I think you’ve still got a pretty great life ahead of you.” She pressed a slow kiss to her cheek. “I can wait for you,” Sofia whispered.

Jaydin leaned down next, wrapping his arms around Amalia. “Love you,” He said.

Amalia buried her face in his shoulder. “Love you too.”

He leaned in close for a moment. “Morrigan  _ is _ a witch,” he whispered. “If you ever get too lonely… just ask her to bring you the next time she visits us.” 

Amalia looked up at him with wide eyes. “I  _ knew _ it.”

After their goodbyes, Sofia and Jaydin each took one of Joyce’s hands in their own, giving her a smile. And for the first time since she had died, she truly  _ knew _ what she was feeling.

Love.

As the trio left the church, Leliana slipped her ring onto Amalia’s finger. She caressed her cheek, and couldn’t help but smile like a fool when Amalia grinned at her. 

She leaned forward, closing the gap between them, smiling against Amalia’s lips.

She was exactly where she belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all folks!
> 
> First off- holy shit I can't believe I actually did this. After what I think may be two years of daydreaming about this au, I wrote a whole ass novella about it in a month and a half.  
> Massive thanks to everyone who's read along, and of course to Rogue-Lavellan and Feeshies on Tumblr for being kick-ass friends and letting me write about your OC's!
> 
> I'd like to say this was fun, but honestly, I'm just glad it's over and I _actually fucking did it_. Now I can actually like... start doing my homework again lmao


End file.
